Senate Republicans are calling on President Joe Biden to withdraw his pick for labor secretary weeks after her nomination stalled out in the Senate.
Julie Su has been serving in an acting capacity since Marty Walsh stepped down from the role to lead the NHL’s players’ union in March. Her nomination has been opposed by Republicans, who cite the billions in unemployment fraud California experienced under her watch as labor commissioner during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The opposition wouldn’t be an obstacle in a chamber Democrats control 51-49 except for the reservations of three senators who typically vote with Democrats — Joe Manchin (D-WV), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and Jon Tester (D-MT).
The three voted for her nomination in 2021, when she became Walsh’s deputy in the Labor Department. But the senators, each of whom is up for reelection in swing states in 2024, remain undecided on her nomination despite pleas from Democratic activists and leadership in the Senate.
Their stance has kept Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) from bringing her nomination to the Senate floor, signaling Democrats don’t have the votes for her to be confirmed.
Facing the impasse, 33 Republican senators, including half of GOP leadership, urged Biden on Tuesday evening to put forward a new nominee. The lawmakers cited her support for a California law upending the gig work economy as well as her perceived stonewalling of Immigration and Customs Enforcement while leading California’s labor department.
“In the past three months since she was nominated to be Secretary of Labor, Ms. Su has given no indication that her past statements and actions are not indicative of future positions and actions she would take as Secretary,” the senators said in a letter to Biden. “She has avoided answering questions wherever possible and she has refrained from providing distinct specificity to her answers when she has responded to inquiries.”
“Given the present state of affairs, we respectfully urge you to withdraw the nomination,” the letter adds.
Senate Democrats have expressed growing frustration as weeks go by without a confirmation vote. In April, she advanced through the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in a party-line vote, but her nomination has languished since.
“Look, I wish we’d have a vote so people can vote and move on, up or down, whatever it might be,” Tester told Punchbowl News.
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But the White House has stood by her nomination, most recently touting her work to resolve a labor dispute between West Coast dock workers and shipping companies.
“Julie Su has proven herself time and time again, both as Deputy Secretary working closely with Secretary Marty Walsh — and now as a leader who helped assure that our supply chains remain strong for America’s businesses, farmers, and working families,” Biden said on Wednesday.
