The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted 11-10 on Feb. 27 to advance Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su’s nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Her nomination stalled last year, and now heads back to the full Senate, where she may again face opposition. We’ve gathered articles on the news from SHRM Online and other media outlets.
Su Renominated
President Joe Biden renominated Su earlier this year to run the DOL. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has said he would vote against confirming her. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., criticized Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for conducting Su’s vote in a closed-door meeting. Cassidy said in a statement senators should have the chance to question Su for implementing policies “that promote large labor unions at the expense of workers and economic growth.”
(Reuters)
Support for Su
Sanders, chair of the Senate HELP Committee, supports Su’s nomination. “Her strong pro-worker track record as acting secretary shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is the right person for the job,” Sanders said in January. “Her tireless and consistent work for working families across the country should continue as secretary of labor and I urge my colleagues to support her nomination.”
(The Hill)
Su’s Acting Leadership Challenged
Congressional Republicans and businesses have warned that having an unconfirmed leader through such economically significant rulemaking creates a bad precedent, and say it circumvents the Advice and Consent provision of the U.S. Constitution. While that argument proceeds through the courts, the White House has rejected those concerns, citing a Government Accountability Office report concluding Su’s acting status is legal.
Prior Experience
Prior to serving as acting secretary of the DOL and deputy secretary before that, Su was California's labor secretary, where she worked closely with unions and employers to build training partnerships to connect people to union jobs.
Before serving as California’s labor secretary, she was California labor commissioner, where she launched the “Wage Theft Is a Crime” campaign.
Su spent 17 years as a civil rights attorney. Once, she represented 72 Thai garment workers who were trafficked into the U.S. and forced to work behind barbed wire and under armed guard. Her work earned her a MacArthur “genius” award.
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