Julie Su’s bid for Labor secretary languishes

Former California labor chief Julie Su’s bid to grow to be President Biden’s Labor secretary is languishing, exhibiting how laborious it may be for a progressive Californian to win Senate affirmation in a deeply divided Washington.

Su, who could be Biden’s first Asian American Cupboard secretary, faces fierce GOP opposition and can want unanimous or near-unanimous assist from the Senate Democratic caucus to win affirmation. However though Biden picked Su for the job in February, Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) have but to make up their minds. Manchin, Sinema and Tester are up for reelection in 2024, elevating the stakes of their selections.

“We’re not there but,” Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), a longtime champion of Su, instructed The Instances on Monday. “We’re going to push for the votes that she wants, and that’s it. No matter is the reluctance, we have to deal with them and get her over the hurdle.”

A bunch referred to as Stand Towards Su, which describes itself as “a coalition of small companies, freelancers, tipped employees and franchisees working collectively to oppose Julie Su,” paid for billboard advertisements in key senators’ states attacking Su. “Biden nominee Julie Su desires to show Montana into California,” reads one advert. “Biden nominee Julie Su desires to show the lights off in West Virginia,” one other warns.

In press statements, Republicans have described Su as an anti-business policymaker who helps legal guidelines that make it more durable for employers and workers to do their jobs. They’ve tied her to Meeting Invoice 5, a California regulation that requires firms to categorise most employees as workers, not impartial contractors. They argue that, if confirmed, Su would advance related insurance policies on a nationwide degree, stopping gig employees from taking over jobs they need. Su has mentioned she is not going to pursue a nationwide equal of AB 5.

Republicans even have pointed to Su’s oversight of California’s Employment Growth Division, which in 2021 reported $20 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims. Her supporters say Su inherited an already damaged system when she took over the division, they usually notice that employment fraud rose throughout the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Due to her misguided file in California, now we have main considerations about potential disastrous ramifications on the federal degree if Ms. Su turns into Secretary. For these causes, we request that you just withdraw her nomination to function your subsequent Secretary of Labor,” Home Republicans, together with Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, wrote in an April letter to President Biden.

Earlier than arriving in Washington, Su quickly rose by the ranks of labor regulators, spending seven years on the helm of California’s Labor and Workforce Growth Company. Two years in the past, the Senate voted alongside social gathering strains to verify Su as deputy secretary of Labor. These acquainted with Su say she hasn’t modified since then. However the political local weather has shifted, making her affirmation much less sure.

“I don’t assume something has modified with regard to her {qualifications} or her means to do the job,” mentioned Invoice Wong, a longtime Democratic strategist. “I believe what has modified is the political calculus Republicans are banking on with a purpose to attempt to take over the Senate.”

Blocking Su’s nomination serves an vital political objective for Republicans, Wong added: The GOP desires to “make the presidency look weak by stonewalling any of his nominations.”

White Home aides stay satisfied they’ll guarantee Su’s affirmation.

White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre instructed reporters Tuesday afternoon that the “full-court press” to verify Su that the White Home introduced final month remains to be underway. Senior White Home officers collect each night time on a “conflict room” name to share updates on her nomination. White Home Chief of Workers Jeff Zients and legislative affairs director Louisa Terrell, Jean-Pierre added, have been talking commonly with Senate Majority Chief Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and different key senators about Su’s nomination “a number of occasions per week,” together with through the peak of the debt ceiling combat.

However the administration’s efforts received’t be sufficient if Schumer can’t discover 50 votes for Su.

Manchin has given no timeline on his determination. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a Republican who sometimes helps Biden’s Cupboard picks, has but to decide on Su, and will stability out one Democratic vote in opposition to the performing secretary.

Senate confirmations usually transfer slowly. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti waited almost two years earlier than profitable affirmation as U.S. ambassador to India. Like Su, he had full assist from the White Home, however struggled to win over sure senators.

Opposition to Su’s affirmation has been on a big scale and extremely publicized, Hirono identified. The senator mentioned she was stunned by the lengths enterprise teams have gone to “scare” voters a couple of potential Su affirmation.

“That’s one thing distinctive to me,” Hirono mentioned. “Huge cash has come out and put up billboards in sure states to encourage these senators to assume twice earlier than voting for her.”

Requested whether or not these ways are working, Hirono hesitated. “Let’s simply say we’re not there but,” she mentioned.

Danielle Cendejas, a Democratic strategist, mentioned the battle over Su’s nomination has forged a professional candidate right into a drained political tug of conflict between enterprise and labor pursuits.

“You’ve got an individual who’s extremely certified, most likely greater than certified, to take this job, caught in a battle that we see play out at each degree of politics,” Cendejas mentioned. “You’ve got enterprise versus labor.”

Su wasn’t concerned within the drafting of AB 5, and her supporters have repeatedly confused that the California Legislature devised the invoice. However based on Tim Lineberger, a former advisor to Alex Acosta, who served as secretary of Labor beneath then-President Trump, Su will at all times be hooked up to the laws as a result of she enforced it. The messaging round AB 5 isn’t what’s holding up her affirmation, he mentioned.

“It actually doesn’t matter the way you message it, in the event that they’re involved about the place she is on the coverage. … She will be able to attempt to clarify it nevertheless she desires to,” Lineberger mentioned.

Others say the selection of tying Su to AB 5 is a component of a bigger Republican technique to painting California politicians as symbols of California.

“That is the newest instance of California getting used in opposition to anyone who’s greater than certified for the job,” Cendejas mentioned. “I do assume that it is a behavior of theirs. It doesn’t matter which Californian it’s — they discover a manner to make use of that in opposition to folks.”

Schumer and his group are in command of deciding when to place Su’s affirmation to a vote. He has not scheduled one. Larry Huynh, a political strategist whose agency has partnered extensively with Schumer, mentioned the delay isn’t atypical for a Senate cut up so narrowly down the center.

On this case, Huynh and Wong argued, Republican opposition to Su might come again to chew them. Hunyh famous that the Asian American and Pacific Islander group is a vital voter bloc that Washington tends to miss.

“Both social gathering ought to assume twice about taking part in politics over a candidate that’s this certified for the place who’s additionally AAPI,” he mentioned.