Biden Says Labour Nominee Julie Su Represents American Dream

President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that his labour secretary nominee Julie Su is a 바카라�real leader바카라� who has supported unions, enforced worker safety and protected the victims of human trafficking.바카라�Julie is the American dream," Biden said in remarks at the White House. 바카라�She's committed to making sure that dream is in reach for every American바카라� The daughter of an immigrant mother who arrived on a cargo ship, Su said she believes 바카라�in the transformative power of America바카라�. She noted that a union job gave her parents a path to the middle class, one that eventually led her to college at Stanford University and law school at Harvard University.

바카라�To all workers who are toiling in the shadows, know that we see you, we stand with you, and we will fight for you," Su said. Su, the current deputy labour secretary, would replace the departing incumbent, former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, whom Biden hailed by saying, 바카라�If I ever want anybody in the foxhole with me, I want Marty Walsh.바카라�A civil rights attorney and former head of California's labour department, Su was central to negotiations between labour and freight rail companies late last year, working to avert an economically debilitating strike. She also has worked to broaden employee training programmes and crack down on wage theft. If confirmed by the Senate, Su would also be the first Asian American in the Biden administration to serve in the Cabinet at the secretary level.

Su was considered to lead the department when Biden won the White House but instead became the department's deputy. Walsh announced his intention to leave the administration earlier this month to lead the National Hockey League Players' Association. Su will serve as the acting secretary until the Senate acts on her nomination. Biden had been under pressure from the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and other Asian American and Pacific Islander advocates to select Su to head the department. This administration was the first in more than two decades to not have a Cabinet secretary of AAPI descent, despite its regular declarations that it was the most diverse in history. Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai are of AAPI descent but don't lead a Cabinet department.

Su, if confirmed, would also expand the majority of women serving in the president's Cabinet. She was confirmed by the Senate to her current role in 2021 by a 50바카라�47 vote. Su's nomination drew swift support from Democrats on Capitol Hill, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer saying on Tuesday that she would be 바카라�phenomenal바카라� in the job.바카라�The president couldn't have picked a better nominee," he told reporters. "I'm really excited about her, and we're going to move to consider her nomination very, very quickly.바카라�Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who will preside over Su's confirmation hearing as chair of the Senate health, education, labour and pensions committee, praised the selection. Sanders had urged consideration of Sara Nelson, the president of the flight attendants union, but made clear Su had his strong support.

바카라�I'm confident Julie Su will be an excellent Secretary of Labour,바카라� he tweeted. 바카라�I look forward to working with her to protect workers' rights and build the trade union movement in this country.바카라�But Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate health, education and labour committee who opposed Su when she was selected for deputy secretary, called her work overseeing the department 바카라�troubling바카라� and 바카라�anti-worker.바카라� The committee should 바카라�have a full and thorough hearing process,바카라� Cassidy said. Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., who chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said she was 바카라�overjoyed바카라� by the selection, thanking Biden in a tweet for 바카라�nominating your first AAPI Cabinet Secretary!바카라�

바카라�It certainly is better late than never,바카라� Chu said in a brief interview, citing CAPAC support for Su two years ago for the top Labour post and praising Su's credentials as a leader and enforcer of labour laws including minimum wage and occupational safety standards. She said GOP criticism about Su had been fully vetted two years ago and that the coming confirmation process will show their charges 바카라�have no basis.바카라� Chu noted that Biden had said he would name a Cabinet that looked like America, and 바카라�he fulfilled that promise.바카라�

Su's nomination also comes at a key moment for labour unions, which have been facing a decline in membership for decades. Unions gained some momentum as workers at major employers such as Amazon and Starbucks pushed to unionize. But Biden 바카라� an avowed pro-union president 바카라� had to work with Congress to impose a contract on rail workers last year to avoid a possible strike. The Labour Department said just 10.1 per cent of workers last year were union members. That figure has been cut nearly in half since 1983 and could fall further, as younger workers are less likely to belong to unions.