Asian Fortune Your source for all things Asian American
By Jennie L. Ilustre
Asian American leaders continue to express optimism for the “swift confirmation” of Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su as head of the agency–especially after a Senate committee voted along party lines on April 26 to advance her confirmation.
Among the first to welcome the news was Juliet K. Choi, President and CEO of Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), who has known Su for 20 years.
She remarked: “While it is disappointing that Acting Secretary Su was reported out of Committee by a party-line vote, she joins dozens of Biden nominees on the Senate Executive Calendar who were voted out of Committee under similar circumstances.”
“Regardless of that vote, I am thrilled that she is out of Committee and is eligible for a floor vote,” she added in an email interview on learning the news.
“The general principle is that every nominee voted out of Committee is entitled to an up or down Senate floor vote on the merits. I expect no less for Acting Secretary Su,” she stressed.
In earlier interviews, she noted that she has known Acting Secretary Su “for nearly 20 years, and she is the most qualified and best person for the job.”
APIAHF leader Choi used to work as a staff attorney at the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium, (now Advancing Justice-AAJC). She said, “Julie was the litigation attorney at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, now known as Advancing Justice/Los Angeles. We coordinated cases at the US Supreme Court.”
“She has always approached issues with an open mind and fairly,” she stressed. “In addition, she has proven experience both on the federal and state level.”
Advancing Justice/AAJC
John C. Yang, President & Executive Director of Advancing Justice/AAJC, lauded the Committee for voting to move Su’s nomination forward. “Su is an immensely qualified candidate, and there is no one better suited as the next US Secretary of Labor,” he pointed out.
He said that as Deputy Secretary of Labor, and as Acting Labor Secretary, she “has been deeply involved in all aspects of the Department of Labor.”
He enumerated her key role, “from revitalizing federal-state-local partnerships in order to strengthen workforce development programs, to reinvesting in America through implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. Su has been an indispensable leader within the Department of Labor, and was instrumental in preventing a nationwide railroad strike.”
“As Marty Walsh’s acting successor, she has managed a department of 16,000 employees with a $14 billion budget and shown that she is ready to lead on day one as U.S. Secretary of Labor,” he noted.
“Julie Su’s robust record of service, as Secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, as Commissioner of the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, and as a civil rights attorney for more than 17 years, demonstrates a steadfast belief in and appreciation for the dignity of work.”
“We look to the full Senate to swiftly confirm Julie Su,” he stressed.
Confirmation Schedule
It is not clear at this point when the floor vote will take place. Choi and other leaders hope it will be during the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer of New York will only schedule the vote once he is assured of a favorable outcome.
At this point, Acting Labor Secretary Su’s confirmation faces hurdles in the full Senate. CNN reported that two Democratic senators up for reelection in red states (Republican-dominated states), are not yet ready to support her: Senator Jon Tester of Montana and Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Mark Kelly of Arizona is also undecided about his vote.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona has not said how she would vote. She had left the Democratic Party recently and is now an Independent. But she still caucuses with Democrats, keeping her committee posts.
California Senator Dianne Feinstein, still ill with shingles, also has been missing votes in the 100-member Senate. Democrats hold a razor-thin 51-49majority.
But Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who is Asian American, is confident about Su’s chances. Politico reported she cited the endorsement from Walsh, who is popular with some Republicans, and Su’s meetings with senators, which will help convince moderates to vote for her.
Politico quoted Su as assuring senators that she has been “a leader dedicated to finding and expanding the vast areas of common ground between employers and employees.”
The Republicans are mostly against former California Secretary of Labor Su heading the US Department of Labor, citing her performance in her previous posts. Politico reported that among other things, Republicans criticized Su’s handling of California’s unemployment insurance system, and they noted that it issued “tens of billions in wrongful or fraudulent payments in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
APIAHF President and CEO Choi commented in an email: “During her Committee hearing this past week, nothing was raised that we haven’t heard before. If anything, Acting Secretary Su had a good exchange with Republican Senator (Barbara) Murkowski by assuring the Senator that she would continue the Willow Project, which is important to Alaskan workers.”
She added: “In 2021 Senator Murkowski voted yes to advancing Acting Secretary Su out of Committee. I am confident that Acting Secretary Su will be voted positively out of Committee. When she receives her Senate floor vote for confirmation, the majority of the US Senate will vote to confirm her. I am hoping that Senator Schumer schedules her confirmation vote in May…”
Strong Support from Biden
The community has been urging President Biden to appoint an Asian American to his cabinet since he assumed office.
Once he nominated Su, his administration mounted an all-out effort for her in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
The administration is now actively engaged in the final push for her confirmation. For one, it has enlisted the support of former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. According to CNN, he is working with groups and senators to confirm Su.
Acting Labor Secretary Su was deputy secretary during Walsh’s term. In 2021, the Senate confirmed her as deputy secretary, also on a party line vote.
CNN reported that Biden told union workers, just hours after announcing his reelection bid, that Su is “gonna be a great secretary.”
APAs’ All-Out, Early Support
The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, or NCAPA, a coalition of 34 groups nationwide, led the early calls for President Biden to nominate Julie Su to head the department of labor, issuing statements on February 10.
Among the leaders was Advancing Justice/AAJC President & Executive Director Yang. He has also known Su for nearly 20 years.
He pointed out that “Julie Su has more than two decades of experience fighting for workers’ rights and ensuring the health and safety of all working people, including people of color, immigrants and women…”
“She is eminently qualified and uniquely positioned to lead the Department of Labor,” he stressed.
Yang was among the national leaders who promptly issued endorsements for Acting Secretary Su when President Biden announced her nomination on February 28. He urged Senate to vote for her “swift confirmation.”
Again on April 20, he led 61 groups in writing letters for the Congressional Record strongly supporting Su’s swift confirmation.
Sterling Track Record
Others who urged the swift confirmation of Acting Secretary Su follow.
Priya Purandare, Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) declared, “If confirmed, Deputy Secretary Su will be an extraordinary Secretary of Labor.”
“NAPABA has had a close relationship with Su since her days as a Skadden Fellow, where she successfully fought against slave labor in the El Monte Thai Garment cases.
“In 2014, NAPABA awarded Su the Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award, which recognizes the outstanding achievements, commitment, and leadership of attorneys who have paved the way for the advancement of others in the community. We are very proud of what she has achieved, and we thank President Biden for nominating her.”
She “is exceptionally well-qualified and was confirmed by the United States Senate in 2021. She has the full support of the AAAPI community, and she has strong champions, such as Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a former NAPABA Board Member, and Senator Tammy Duckworth, who have supported Su although out her career. We will fully support Su in her hearings and look forward to her confirmation.”
APAICS
Remarked Madalene Xuan-Trang Mielke, President and CEO of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS): “Julie Su is an indispensable leader within the Department of Labor and is a role model for many in our Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities. We are thrilled that President Biden has honored his commitment to diverse representation by nominating her.
“Her nomination reflects who we are as a country. As we heard this news on the eve of Women’s History Month, we are excited to see and champion more women of color in positions of leadership and power.”
The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) is a national, non-partisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization “dedicated to promoting Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander participation and representation at all levels of the political process, from community service to elected office.”
NAPAWF
Sung Yeon Choimorrow, National Asian Pacific American Wpmen’s Forum (NAPAWF) Executive Director, said: “NAPAWF is thrilled to support Julie Su in her nomination for Secretary of the US Department of Labor.”
She “is an exceptional, proven leader who has been recognized as an expert on workers’ rights and civil rights throughout her career.”
“She has been a tireless advocate for low-wage workers, including immigrant women and women of color, and has demonstrated her commitment to protecting the rights of the country’s most marginalized.”
Acting Labor Secretary Su “not only possesses the professional experience and expertise necessary to serve as Secretary of Labor, but also the lived experience that allows her to be a strong advocate for immigrant workers.
“The advocacy and labor communities are very excited about her nomination and will be urging the Senate to swiftly confirm her. I joined with over 100 gender justice, economic justice, and immigrant justice leaders to urge President Biden to nominate her…Our senators understand very well that this role is far too important to be left vacant for long and it is my hope and expectation that they will move swiftly to confirm her.”
SEARAC
Katrina Dizon Mariategue, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)) Acting Executive Director, noted Su’s “outstanding leadership, wide breadth of experience, and long-standing commitment to the rights of working-class Americans across all communities reflect her qualifications to lead the Department of Labor.”
She added: “As a champion of workers’ rights and fair labor practices, we look to her leadership to protect Southeast Asian American workers, many of whom are low-wage workers. Her nomination is a historic moment for Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander representation–a critical step in feeling seen in the labor, workforce, and employment initiatives set forth by the Department of Labor.
“SEARAC urges Congress to move swiftly to confirm Julie Su as the next US Secretary of Labor,” she concluded.
List of Organizations
Below is a list of several organizations and leaders nationwide that wrote letters to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on April 18, urging the swift confirmation of Acting Labor Secretary Su. The list was graciously provided by top community leader Vincent Eng.
National Electrical Contractors Association; Futures Without Violence; Jennifer C. Braceras, Former Member, United States Commission on Civil Rights; Foreman’s Union (ILWU) Local 94; Small Business Majority; American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); AAPI Community letter (61 groups), led by Asian Americans Advancing Justice; SEIU; United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW); AFGE Local 948;
Communications Workers of America (CWA); Jobs to Move America; Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA); International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW); United Mine Workers of America (UMWA); National Partnership for Women & Families; MomsRising; Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU); Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce; National League of Cities (NLC);
International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART); International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC); National Education Association (NEA); American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); National Urban League (NUL); National Employment Law Project (NELP); Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA); Committee of 100; United Farm Workers; National Job Corps Association;
Diverse business groups’ letter (12 groups that “represent the voices of America’s diverse small businesses, including AAPIs, Black, Hispanic, and women entrepreneurs”); two former federal prosecutors in US v. Manasurangkun et al. (Thai workers case); Coalition on Inclusive Economic Growth (including 10 groups); National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA); International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB);
94 organizations led by Economic Policy Institute (EPI) & NELP; Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF); Group of 3 small business owners from Arizona; Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA); A Better Balance; 370 current and former Skadden Fellows (370 individuals); Women’s Community letter (56 groups); AFL-CIO and 55 national and international union presidents (56 total unions); AAPI business leaders (23 groups);
United Steelworkers (USW); Oxfam America; Lakshmi Ramakrishnan, attorney from Texas; Economic Policy Institute; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA); Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and 125 national organizations (126 total groups); Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Eugene Serok; Members of legal team in El Monte case (10 individuals); Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA); National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and 106 groups (107 total groups);
Asian American Scholar Forum; United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW); Teamsters; National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD); Asian & Pacific Islander American (APIA) Vote and 14 groups (total 15 groups);
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO); United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA); Restaurant Opportunities Centers United; International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT); Iron Workers; OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates; Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center; Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, and American Federation of Teachers.
