Biden’s Labor Secretary Nominee Julie Su Prepares to Testify!

By Elena Gilbert On Apr 21, 2023

Julie Su, the successor to Labor Secretary candidate of President Joe Biden, will testify before the Senate on Thursday. Still, significant Democrats have not expressed their support for her confirmation, casting doubt on her chances in the closely divided body.

Before Su’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, a few moderate Democrats have not publicly declared whether they would vote for Su’s nomination. Marty Walsh, the former mayor of Boston, was replaced as labor secretary by Su, who Biden chose in February.

Su is the daughter of an immigrant mother who landed on a cargo ship and is currently the deputy labor secretary. She would be the first Asian American to hold the secretary position in the Cabinet under the Biden presidency.

Biden called her path proof of the “American dream” and said, “she’s committed to making sure that dream is in reach for every American.” Su was previously confirmed as the deputy labor secretary, but business organizations opposed her because of her track record as California’s labor department’s head.

They cite her support for a now-defunct California law that would have required trucking companies and app-based ride-hailing and delivery services like Uber and Lyft to treat their employees as such and offer benefits like paid sick leave and unemployment insurance rather than treating them as independent contractors.

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Su has also been accused of being responsible for issues at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency during the coronavirus pandemic. The state may have paid billions of dollars in fictitious claims as an unprecedented number of individuals applied for unemployment benefits and endured lengthy wait times.

Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent, and Sens. Joe Manchin, Jon Tester, and Mark Kelly, all Democrats, declined to indicate whether they would vote to confirm her this week. In a Senate that is split 51-49, Democrats cannot afford to lose more than a few votes.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California, is likewise healing from shingles there; a specific return date is not yet set. Su’s nomination was the subject of Manchin’s repeated refusal to comment this week;

Tester promised to meet with her following the meeting to “make sure she’s still right”; Kelly stated that he was unconcerned by her voting history but added that he does not vote in advance; Through a spokesman, Sinema stated that she did not anticipate votes.

Su’s appointment to her present position was approved by the Senate in 2021 on a 50-47 majority. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, stated that she abstained from voting for Su’s confirmation in 2021 because to “how she had handled the unemployment compensation issues in the state of California.”

Top Democrats have met with Su this week at the Capitol to show their support for her. Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, praised Su’s efforts on job development during a meeting with her on Monday, saying, “She’s done a good job, and I think she’s got a two-year track record that is strong.”

Su played a key role in labor and freight train companies’ late-year negotiations, which helped prevent a crippling strike. She has also spearheaded initiatives to combat wage theft.

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