Washington DC – The controversial nomination of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to serve as US ambassador to Japan has teed up another dispute between congressional leaders and progressive members of the Squad.

Joe Biden officially announced on Friday he was nominating Rahm Emanuel to the ambassador post, the New York Times reported.

Emanuel was already a close ally to the president, previously serving under the Obama and Clinton administrations.

During his time as mayor of Chicago from 2011 to 2019, Emanuel made a name for himself by giving big tax breaks to businesses and the rich, closing public schools and mental health clinics, and increasing police department funding, despite reports of brutality and civil rights violations carried out by officers.

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Scandal erupted after the 2014 murder of a 17-year-old Black teenager named Laquan McDonald. After white Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke shot McDonald 16 times, Emanuel did not immediately release video of the killing, likely fearing repercussions for his 2015 reelection bid.

It wasn't until a judge demanded the video's release that Emanuel complied, leading many to accuse him of trying to cover up the incident.

Despite Emanuel's troublesome history, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement, "In the House and, indeed, across the nation, Rahm Emanuel is known and respected by all for his relentlessness and track record of success. His great experience, from the U.S. House to the White House, will serve our nation well, as he works to deepen one of our nation’s most important alliances, champion American interests abroad and advance regional security and prosperity."

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn tweeted, "I support President Biden’s nomination of my former colleague Rahm Emanuel to be Ambassador to Japan. I worked closely with him in Congress and when he served as Chief of Staff to President Obama. He has the experience necessary to advance our country’s strategic objectives."

Both Pelosi and Clyburn have track records of endorsing controversial centrist figures over progressive candidates.

But not everyone in Congress is on board, as members of the Squad took to Twitter over the weekend to protest Emanuel's nomination.

Missouri Rep. Cori Bush wrote, "Rahm Emanuel covered up the murder of Laquan McDonald. He must be disqualified from ever holding an appointed position in any administration. Call your Senator and urge them to vote NO."

Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib had a similar response: "Rahm Emanuel, as the Mayor of Chicago, covered up the murder of Laquan McDonald. That alone should disqualify him from any public position."

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"If you believe Black lives indeed matter, then the Senate must reject his appointment immediately," Tlaib concluded.

Bush and Tlaib have demanded an overhaul of the current policing system, an end to mass incarceration, and a reinvestment in social services. The nomination of a man with such close ties to police and corporate interests to a top government post clearly doesn't align with those priorities.

It is unclear when confirmation hearings will take place. Of the dozens of ambassador nominees the Biden administration has announced this year, only one has been confirmed by the Senate so far.