Earlier this month, a coalition of progressive groups published an open letter to Joe Biden concerned with how he might earn young people’s support.

The letter’s authors were probably under no illusions that a politician like Biden would actually embrace many of their demands — which included adopting the broad framework of the Green New Deal, backing Medicare for All, and enacting sweeping reforms to America’s immigration and criminal justice systems. Nevertheless, in the context of a moment when Biden would be actively seeking to win over the younger and more progressive-minded voters he’d struggled so badly with during this year’s primary election, it was reasonable to think he might at least throw them a bone or two.

Among the most concrete (and easily realizable) demands the groups offered had to do with staffing — specifically a pledge they hoped Biden would make to “appoint zero current or former Wall Street executives or corporate lobbyists, or people affiliated with the fossil fuel, health insurance, or private prison corporations” to his transition team, advisory roles, or to cabinet.