WATCH LIVE: Senate holds confirmation hearing for Julie Su to become secretary of Labor
Rachel Schilke
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A Senate committee will hold a hearing on Thursday to discuss the nomination of Julie Su to become the next secretary of Labor.
Su, who serves as deputy labor secretary, has faced a tough uphill battle in convincing senators she is the right person to replace retiring Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. Su will appear before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for a confirmation hearing on Thursday.
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Democrats currently have a 51-49 majority in the Senate, meaning that the absence of one Democrat could give Republicans an opportunity to block Su’s nomination, which they have done to two of President Joe Biden‘s nominees for other positions this session.
Su needs to convince Democrats who are still on the fence about her replacing Walsh, including centrist Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and Jon Tester (D-MT). All three have yet to publicly declare whether or not they will support her nomination.
The current deputy labor secretary has faced scrutiny from the business and tech communities for her work leading California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency, as well as her support of previous measures that they believe hurt worker independence and consumer choice. However, several small business groups, minority-owned businesses, and unions have endorsed Su.
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She was appointed deputy secretary after the vote barely passed the Senate, 50-47, after months of delays.
The hearing is set to begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday.