Democrats try again to confirm Julie Su to Biden’s Cabinet

Washington

Julie Su’s frustrating quest to become U.S. labor secretary received a small boost Tuesday when a Democratic-dominated committee voted to approve the nomination.

But it remains uncertain whether the former California labor chief will ultimately get the job.

Su’s nomination was approved Tuesday by an 11-10 vote by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Biden reappointed Su after she failed to win confirmation last year. It is not unusual for a committee to not hold a rehearing on a reappointment.

That infuriated Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. He said he was the senior Republican on the panel. Speaker Bernie Sanders, Ind.-Vt., was “trying to pass it under the cover of night without having a hearing,” Cassidy told The Bee.

Sanders cited what he called Su’s “strong record of supporting working people and tireless dedication to working families.” That record, he said, “shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is the right person for the job.”

The full Senate can now consider Su’s nomination, although it is unclear when — or if — that will happen.

Democrats control 51 of the Senate’s 100 seats. So, with 49 Republicans likely to vote no, one Democrat saying they were opposed and some undecided, the nomination did not receive a full vote in the Senate.

Biden appoints Su

President Joe Biden announced Su’s nomination exactly a year ago. Su has served as acting secretary since March.

Concerns about Su’s performance as secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency quickly surfaced in the Senate.

The Employment Development Department, which managed the state’s often chaotic unemployment program during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021, is part of that agency. The unemployment benefits system has been overwhelmed by the volume of claims, leading to consumer complaints and widespread fraud in the federal temporary unemployment program.

Su’s leadership has sparked skepticism among Republicans in Washington, as well as some Democrats — and it’s unclear what will be different this time.

Sen. Alex Padilla, Democrat of California, said he was not aware of any challengers now supporting Su, “but we will continue to work on it.”

Padilla said that “as time goes on, people will continue to see the great work she does.”

Help from ancient laws

Su remains in an acting role because of an unusual law passed in 1946 and amended in 1986. It allows the department’s deputy secretary — a position Su held from 2021 until last spring — to “perform the duties secretary until a successor is appointed.” »

Su’s role, Cassidy said, “makes a mockery of the advice and consent of the United States Senate, which is that someone sits for a year when Congress has not yet approved them and we have not so no hearing on that.”

“We need a qualified Secretary of Labor who can impartially enforce the law, properly manage a department, and refrain from partisan activism. Ms. Su failed to demonstrate the ability to do any of those three things,” Cassidy said.

The United States Department of Labor oversees the federal government’s job training programs, the unemployment system, labor statistics, and other work-related tasks and policies.

Republicans and some Democrats questioned how she could competently manage the department after her experience in California.

“I think the person who leads the U.S. Department of Labor should have the experience to collaboratively lead unions and industry to forge compromises acceptable to both sides,” Sen. Joe said last year Manchin, D.W.Va.

“While her credentials and qualifications are impressive, I sincerely fear that Julie Su’s more progressive background may prevent her from doing so and for that reason, I cannot support her nomination for Secretary of Labor,” he said. he added.

Su enjoys strong support from most Democrats, and the AFL-CIO has endorsed her, given her record as a staunch defender of workers’ rights. She received an ingenious grant from the MacArthur Foundation in 2001, for bringing “a landmark federal lawsuit on behalf of these workers, establishing a precedent that extends the scope of employment liability beyond sub-contractors.” manufacturing contractors to retailers and fashion designer brands who initially contract for the work.”

This story was originally published February 27, 2024, 2:44 p.m.