Confirm Julie Su as Labor Secretary, Biden, APAs Urge the US Senate

By Jennie L. Ilustre

The push is on for the swift Senate confirmation of Labor Deputy Secretary Julie Su, after President Biden nominated her to be the next Secretary of Labor. Her confirmation would make her the first Asian Pacific American (APA) in a cabinet position after two decades.

         ”Julie is a champion for workers, and she has been a critical partner to Secretary Walsh since the early days of my Administration” President Biden said in announcing her nomination on February 28.

He added: “She helped avert a national rail shutdown, improved access to good jobs free from discrimination through my Good Jobs Initiative, and is ensuring that the jobs we create in critical sectors like semiconductor manufacturing, broadband and healthcare are good-paying, stable and accessible jobs for all.”

“I look forward to continuing to work with Julie to build an economy that works for working people, and I respectfully ask the Senate to take up this nomination quickly so that we can finish the job for America’s workers,” he stressed.

Priya Purandare, Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), pointed out in an email interview the day after Su’s nomination: “Deputy Secretary Su is exceptionally well-qualified and was confirmed by the United States Senate in 2021 for her current position,”

She added: “Deputy Secretary Su has the full support of the Asian American and Pacific Islander 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 throughout her career.”

“We will fully support Su in her hearings and look forward to her confirmation,” she asserted.

According to a Politico news story, Senator Bernie Sanders promised to push for Deputy Secretary Su’s confirmation. Sanders had originally backed someone else to be labor secretary.

NAPAWF

“The advocacy and labor communities are very excited about Deputy Secretary Su’s nomination and will be urging the Senate to swiftly confirm her,” Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) said in an email interview.

“I had joined with over 100 gender justice, economic justice, and immigrant justice leaders to urge President Biden to nominate Deputy Secretary Su, and now, conversations are already underway for us to redirect our advocacy efforts to the Senate,” she noted. “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.”

The NAPAWF leader described Deputy Secretary Su as an exceptional, proven leader who has been recognized as “an expert on workers’ rights and civil rights throughout her career.”

“Deputy 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,” she said.

1st APA in Cabinet

Biden is expected to appoint Julie Su, 54, as Acting Labor Secretary in mid-March, when Secretary Marty Walsh departs to head the National Hockey League Players’ Association.

The President has been under pressure from the community to appoint an Asian Pacific American to a cabinet-level position since the start of his Administration.

The Mainstream Media has reported this is the first time in two decades that no Asian American has occupied a cabinet post. (Norman Y. Mineta was appointed Secretary of Commerce by President Bill Clinton and Secretary of Transportation by President George W. Bush. Bush also appointed Elaine Chao as Secretary of Labor).

Politico and others in the Mainstream Media had noted that in the 2020 presidential elections, Asian American voters played an outsized role in propelling Biden to victory, particularly in battleground states.

Community Endorsements

Other advocacyleaders unanimously agree Labor Deputy Secretary Su is eminently qualified to head the agency, and look forward to her swift Senate confirmation.

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 hear 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.”

APIAHF

Juliet K. Choi, President & CEO of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), gave the following statement: “Julie Su Is eminently qualified to serve as our next Secretary of Labor. She is best positioned to grow our nation’s economy and ensure the health and well-being of our workers. As Deputy Secretary of Labor, Ms. Su understands the Department, its initiatives and will be in a position to deliver immediately on the goals of the Biden administration with respect to labor, workforce and employment issues.

“Ms. Su’s prior experience as Secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, one of the largest state labor departments in the nation, demonstrates that she has the experience to lead the U.S. Department of Labor.”

“Lastly, as a former colleague of Ms. Su, I have firsthand experience that she will champion worker rights and ensure that all Americans, including Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, will not be marginalized.”

Advancing Justice

John C. Yang, Executive Director of Advancing Justice – AAJC strongly encouraged the Senate “to move swiftly to confirm Julie Su as the next US Secretary of Labor.”

He noted: “Julie Su’s nomination is a welcome and critical step in increasing Asian American representation in the Cabinet, as she would be the only Asian American head of a federal department.

“A nationally-recognized expert on labor policy and workers’ rights, she would bring her lived experience as a daughter of immigrants, a woman of color, and an Asian American to the role of U.S. Secretary of Labor, ensuring the concerns of all communities are prioritized in the workforce, labor, and employment goals set forth by the Biden Administration.”

SEARAC

“We applaud President Biden’s nomination of Julie Su as the 30th Secretary of Labor and if confirmed, as the first Asian American Cabinet Secretary to serve in the Biden Administration,” said Katrina Dizon Mariategue, SEARAC Acting Executive Director.

“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 the Senate to move swiftly to confirm Julie Su as the next US Secretary of Labor.”

Biden Statement

Full text of President Biden’s Statement on nominating Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su to be the Secretary of Labor follows:

“It is my honor to nominate Julie Su to be our country’s next Secretary of Labor. Julie has spent her life fighting to make sure that everyone has a fair shot, that no community is overlooked, and that no worker is left behind. Over several decades, Julie has led the largest state labor department in the nation, cracked down on wage theft, fought to protect trafficked workers, increased the minimum wage, created good-paying, high-quality jobs, and established and enforced workplace safety standards.

Julie is a champion for workers, and she has been a critical partner to Secretary Walsh since the early days of my Administration. She helped avert a national rail shutdown, improved access to good jobs free from discrimination through my Good Jobs Initiative, and is ensuring that the jobs we create in critical sectors like semiconductor manufacturing, broadband and healthcare are good-paying, stable and accessible jobs for all.

I look forward to continuing to work with Julie to build an economy that works for working people, and I respectfully ask the Senate to take up this nomination quickly so that we can finish the job for America’s workers.”

Career

The White House Office of Public Engagement issued the career profile below of Julie Su.

 Julie Su has spent her career fighting for workers, and currently serves as the Deputy Secretary of Labor, a position she has held since her July 2021 Senate confirmation. As Deputy Secretary, Su has worked side by side with Secretary Walsh to advance President Biden’s vision of a strong, resilient, inclusive economy with worker well-being at its center.

Previously, Su was the Labor Secretary for the State of California where she worked closely with unions and employers to build high road training partnerships to connect people – often those left out of prosperity–to good, union jobs.

She began her life in government service as the California Labor Commissioner, where she launched the “Wage Theft is a Crime” campaign with the support of both labor and management.

Su spent 17 years as a civil rights attorney representing workers who are often invisible, including 72 Thai garment workers who were trafficked into the US and forced to work behind barbed wire and under armed guard. Her work earned her a MacArthur “genius” award.

Su is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School. She is the daughter of immigrants, speaks Mandarin and Spanish, and she has two daughters, LiMei and AnLing, who are both in college.