(UnitedVoice.com) – In February, President Joe Biden nominated Julie Su to be his next secretary for the Department of Labor. She was serving as the deputy Labor secretary after being confirmed by a vote of 50-47 in 2021. Now, she’s the acting Labor secretary. Months after the POTUS nominated her to a cabinet position, she has still not been confirmed. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is now trying to whip the votes.
The Problem
On April 26, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions advanced Su’s nomination. Despite the advancement, Schumer has not brought her nomination to the floor for a vote because he doesn’t have the support he needs to get her confirmed. Republicans are united against her, while several Democratic and Independent lawmakers are unsure.
The issue is reportedly the time she spent as California’s Labor secretary, where she supported the highly controversial AB 5 disaster that reclassified contractors as employees. More than one million jobs were lost as a result. She has also been silent about the pro-union bill, Protecting the Right to Organize Act.
Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) reportedly opposes Su’s nomination, though he has not come out and said it. In May, he met with the nominee and then joined a phone call with the International Franchise Association, which opposes her. The West Virginia senator was allegedly looking for alternative nominees. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) has also not said whether she plans to support Su.
Senator John Tester (D-MT) is another lawmaker reportedly trying to decide whether to confirm the acting secretary. Mark Mix, the president of the National Right to Work Foundation, told Newsmax that the senator might support her, but “he wants to see more.” He pointed out that Tester, Manchin, and Sinema are all up for reelection this cycle.
Schumer Tries to Whip Up Votes
The majority leader is reportedly stepping in to try to convince members of his own party, along with the three Independents who caucus with his party (Sen. Angus King (ME) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) and Sinema) to vote for Su. It’s Schumer’s job to bring his party together to push nominees through. His Republican counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY), was especially good at doing that when he had the majority.
Currently, Democrats have a razor-thin majority, with 48 members plus the three Independents. All of the members who currently seem to have an issue with Su supported her back in 2021. For now, it appears there is no end in sight to the deadlock.
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