pResident Joe Biden promoted Julie Su as Labor Secretary during a speech Wednesday morning, saying she is the best candidate to replace Marty Walsh.
Biden is poised to nominate Su, who serves as Walsh’s deputy, after Walsh announced he would resign next month to join the National Hockey League Players Association.
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“It is an honor to nominate Julie Su to be our next Secretary of Labor,” Biden said. “And I’ve asked the United States Senate to move this nomination quickly so we can continue the progress of building an economy that works for everyone.”
Prior to joining the Biden administration, Su served as California’s labor commissioner and then as secretary of the California Workforce and Workforce Development Agency, where she oversaw the rollout of the law of work in California.
If approved, Su would become the first Asian American to hold a secretary position in Biden’s cabinet.
Su was born to Chinese immigrants in Wisconsin, Biden noted, with his mother working in a union and his father a small business owner.
“Julie is the American dream,” Biden said. “Most importantly, he is committed to making sure that dream is within the reach of all Americans.”
He topped a list of several names that had been floated for the gig in the weeks since Walsh announced his departure.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had pushed for former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) to be nominated, prompting pushback from some Democrats who called the proposal “divisive” .
Sara Nelson, the head of the Association of Flight Attendants, created a bit of a stir along with former Labor Secretary Robert Reich.
Su also spoke out, saying her mother’s union work helped her successfully transition into the middle class and that she would fight for similar opportunities as Labor secretary.
“To all the workers who work in the shadows, to the workers who organize for power and respect in the workplace, know that we see you,” he said. “We are with you and we will fight for you.”
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Su’s nomination drew criticism from some Senate Republicans, with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, calling his record of “concerning” vote.
“Vice Secretary Su has a troubling record and is currently overseeing the Labor Department’s development of anti-worker regulations that will dismantle the gig economy. This does not inspire confidence in his ability to hold his current position, let alone be promoted,” she said in a statement. “The HELP Committee should have a full and thorough hearing process to evaluate Julie Su’s nomination.”
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