Political Punch Jake Tapper President Obama Names Transgender Appointee to Commerce Department. President Obama recently named Amanda Simpson [Pic in URL] to be a Senior Technical Advisor to the Commerce Department. In a statement, Simpson, a member of the National Center for Transgender Equality's board of directors, said that "as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others." While Simpson is clearly one of the first transgender presidential appointees, Democratic officials say they're unsure if she is...