WASHINGTON – On June 7, the chairs of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) sent a letter along with six senators and 61 members of Congress urging Senate leadership to confirm Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su as the next secretary of the Department of Labor.
Chairs Judy Chu (CAPAC), Steven Horsford (CBC), Nanette Barragán (CHC), and Lois Frankel (DWC) released the following joint statement, as written in their letter: “We are heartened that the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions advanced her nomination on April 26, 2023 for consideration by the full Senate. With a proven track record of delivering strong results for the American economy, supporting small businesses, and championing workers, Acting Secretary Su is the most qualified candidate to lead the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).”
The letter continues: “Acting Secretary Su is an experienced leader, having stepped into DOL’s top post for nearly two months and previously serving as the deputy secretary of labor, secretary of California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and California labor commissioner. In close partnership with former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, she worked to usher in the fastest jobs recovery in almost 40 years with a record 12.6 million jobs created since President Biden took office, including 800,000 jobs in manufacturing.
“Further, since President Biden was sworn in, the unemployment rate shrank to its lowest level in more than 50 years. Acting Secretary Su has played a critical role in building the economy from the bottom up and middle out. While serving as California’s labor secretary, Acting Secretary Su collaborated with employers impacted heavily by the COVID-19 pandemic to keep their businesses’ doors open while still providing critical services. She also promoted sound economic policy and programs that helped small business owners in California attract and retain their workforce.
“Acting Secretary Su is a lifelong advocate for all workers. She got her start as a civil rights attorney defending Thai garment workers who were trafficked in the U.S., and later as California’s labor secretary, went on to combat wage theft and worker retaliation and protect the health and safety of California workers and employers.
“While serving as deputy secretary of labor, she worked side-by-side with former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh to support workforce training, including expanding apprenticeship programs in trucking, teaching, cybersecurity, and other in-demand industries and investing in training the healthcare workforce.
“Acting Secretary Su has also created equitable access to good jobs for all workers and job seekers by shepherding the Good Jobs Initiative and helping oversee the implementation of important economic legislation such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
“During her tenure with the Biden Administration, Acting Secretary Su has expanded pre-apprenticeships, creating on-ramps to valuable apprenticeship opportunities for all workers. The DOL also launched a national Youth Employment Works strategy to promote high-quality career pathways for young workers to ensure they are prepared for the labor workforce.
“Acting Secretary Su will continue to ensure that people all across the nation get the skills and training they need to fill newly available good jobs in critical sectors like semiconductor manufacturing, broadband, and healthcare.
“Given her demonstrated leadership experience, strong and genuine engagement with the small business community, and unrelenting dedication to workers’ rights and good middle-class jobs, Acting Secretary Su is the best candidate to be our nation’s next secretary of labor. She has the support of leading diverse business organizations and labor unions.
“We urge the Senate to confirm her nomination without delay so that businesses, employers, working families, and job-seekers across the nation get the full attention and support they need.”
Among those who signed the letter are Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Reps. Ami Bera (D-Sacramento), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ted Lieu (D-Manhattan Beach), Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Mark Takano (D-Riverside), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), and Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-Northern Mariana Islands).