[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 51 (Thursday, March 18, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1632-S1633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Nomination of Martin Joseph Walsh

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to support the 
nomination of Mayor Marty Walsh to serve as Secretary of Labor.
  Across the country, working families are really desperate for help. 
Even before this pandemic, the deck was stacked against workers and 
especially against women, workers of color, and workers with 
disabilities, thanks to an unlivable Federal minimum wage and 
subminimum wage for tipped workers and workers with disabilities that 
do leave millions of workers struggling to make ends meet; a pay gap 
that makes getting by even harder for women, in particular, women of 
color; a lack of a national paid family, sick, and medical leave policy 
and quality, affordable childcare for working families; a failure to 
protect workers from pandemics and workplace accidents and harassment 
and discrimination and more; and a wave of job loss and economic 
uncertainty that is upending the lives of workers and retirees across 
our country.
  This pandemic has laid bare the painful fact that while our economy 
might work for the biggest corporations and wealthiest individuals, it 
isn't working for working families. And all of these challenges--unsafe 
workplaces, lost jobs, low wages--are even worse for people of color 
due to longstanding inequities that are rooted in systemic racism and 
are widening due to this pandemic.
  Our country cannot fully recover from this crisis unless we begin to 
change that by rebuilding a stronger, fairer economy. And that starts 
by making sure we have a Secretary of Labor who will actually champion 
workers and working families.
  As a union leader, a State representative, and as a mayor, Mayor 
Marty Walsh has done just that. He has a clear track record as a 
collaborative leader who worked across coalitions with labor groups and 
the business community to build up Boston's middle class. Under his 
leadership, 135,000 new jobs have been created in Boston.

[[Page S1633]]

  He fought for a $15 minimum wage and paid leave policies to help 
ensure women, workers of color, and workers with disabilities can 
succeed in the workforce and get the pay they deserve.
  During this pandemic, Mayor Walsh has continued to show a deep 
commitment to his frontline workers who have kept this country running 
by providing funding for emergency childcare and other resources his 
essential workers needed to weather the pandemic.
  And he would bring an important perspective as the first union leader 
to head the Department in decades.
  His unwavering commitment to put workers first was plain to see 
during our confirmation hearing. In his testimony Mayor Walsh spoke 
powerfully about the importance of protecting frontline workers who do 
so much to keep our communities and our country running and rooting out 
the inequities that have done so much damage to communities of color. 
Mayor Walsh made clear he will work with Congress to help ensure every 
worker has a fair, livable wage; a safe workplace; paid family, sick, 
and medical leave; access to quality, affordable childcare; a secure 
retirement; and the right to join a union and collectively organize.
  I was impressed by his answers during our hearing, and I wasn't the 
only one. Mayor Walsh's nomination passed out of our HELP Committee 
with strong bipartisan support in an 18-to-4 vote, and I hope he will 
now be confirmed with similar, overwhelming, bipartisan support because 
even before this pandemic and even before President Trump's 4-year 
crusade against workers, we had a long road ahead to build a truly 
fair, inclusive economy that works for working families. But, now, not 
only is the road longer, the clock is ticking.
  Workers who are the backbone of our economy have been pushed to the 
brink. They need us to confirm Mayor Marty Walsh so we have a Secretary 
of Labor who will take quick action to address the urgent challenges we 
face and be a valuable partner in helping our economy come back 
stronger and fairer for all workers.
  While we made important progress in the American Rescue Plan to 
extend unemployment benefits and provide much needed tax relief for 
those benefits, provide direct payments for families, and protect the 
pensions millions of workers and retirees depend on and while President 
Biden is taking important steps to reverse Trump-era rules that 
undermined workers' rights, this road to recovery is long, and there 
are still many steps we need to take, including raising the Federal 
minimum wage to one fair wage of $15 an hour, passing the PRO Act into 
law to strengthen workers' right to join a union, and passing the BE 
HEARD in the Workplace Act to protect people from harassment, assault, 
and discrimination.
  We have a lot to do and no time to waste. I urge all of my colleagues 
to prove to families back home they understand we need a Secretary of 
Labor we can trust to stand up for workers and not huge corporations. I 
urge my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm Mayor Walsh.
  Thank you.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.