Five Democrats who could stop Julie Su’s confirmation as labor secretary
Ryan King
Video Embed
Labor secretary nominee Julie Su is staring down a difficult pathway to confirmation as swing Democrats signal apprehension about her appointment.
Su cleared the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions last week in a party-line vote. Republicans are widely expected to unify in opposition to her, and with Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) absence, one Democratic defection would likely doom her chances.
SENATE PANEL ADVANCES JULIE SU NOMINATION FOR LABOR SECRETARY
Here is a look at five Democrats who could stop Su’s confirmation.
Joe Manchin
A thorn in President Joe Biden’s side, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) told the administration he has deep reservations about Su, Axios reported. His specific concerns were not clear in the report, but Republicans have hammered her over her record as California’s labor commissioner.
Under her tenure, there was over $30 billion in unemployment funds that were swindled by criminals, California’s Employment Development Department admitted. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) posited that “Biden’s Labor pick would turn America into one big California mess.”
Manchin hails from one of the most conservative states in the country and recently drew one of his toughest challengers in Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) last week. However, Manchin has not said whether he will vie for reelection in 2024.
He is expected to meet with Su this week.
Jon Tester
Although he has not flagged any problems with Su publicly, Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) is widely considered to be another on the fence. A centrist from a traditionally ruby red state, Tester is up for reelection, and Republicans see his seat as vulnerable in the 2024 cycle.
Tester met with Su last week.
“The meeting didn’t hurt her, I don’t think, so that’s good,” he told reporters, but he did not say if he planned to vote for her.
Earlier this month, Tester made it clear that his mind wasn’t made up. Su previously cleared the Senate to serve as deputy labor secretary.
“I’m very ambivalent. I voted for her before. I don’t have a problem with her right now,” he said.
Kyrsten Sinema
Known for often keeping quiet on such deliberations, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) is also viewed as another wild card. Sinema has been no stranger to bucking Democrats in the past.
She has reportedly met with Su but has been largely quiet about her. In 2021, Sinema joined Manchin and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) in tanking Biden’s nomination of David Weil to serve as the head of the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division.
Dianne Feinstein
Since February, Feinstein has been absent from the upper chamber due to a shingles infection. A chorus of liberals has raised concerns about her absence, which has frustrated efforts to push through Biden’s more divisive picks for the judiciary.
Feinstein has asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to name a temporary substitute on the panel, which has drawn opposition from Republicans. It remains unclear when she will make her return.
In the meantime, her absence could complicate efforts to confirm Su, especially if at least one Democrat defects.
Mark Kelly
The other senator from Arizona has also been somewhat of an unknown on Su. He previously teamed up with Sinema to tank Weil’s nomination.
Kelly already won reelection in the last midterm election cycle. He has occasionally broken ranks from his party in the past but has generally cast himself as more of a team player relative to Sinema.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Biden named Su as his pick in February to lead the Labor Department ahead of the departure of then-Secretary Marty Walsh in March to helm the NHL Players’ Association. She has been backed by groups such as the AFL-CIO and has been widely commended by labor groups.
Various business interests have backed Republican efforts to oppose her, panning her record, such as her supporting a gig worker law that made it harder for companies like Uber to classify workers as contractors instead of employees. Should she get confirmed, she will be Biden’s first Asian American Cabinet secretary.
The Washington Examiner contacted each senator for comment.