[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 122 (Tuesday, July 13, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4842-S4843]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     EXECUTIVE CALENDAR--Continued

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Hawaii.
  Ms. HIRONO. Madam President, I rise in strong support of the 
nomination of Julie Su to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of 
Labor.
  The U.S. Department of Labor is an important Federal Agency, but 
amidst a global pandemic that has left millions of Americans out of 
work, the Department's mission takes on outsized importance. The 
Department needs leadership with deep experience, knowledge, and a 
demonstrated ability to successfully lead an organization.
  Just as importantly, the Department needs leadership with an 
understanding of the unique challenges of this moment. As we are seeing 
with President Biden, leadership does make a difference. At this 
critical time in our Nation's economic recovery, we must ensure the 
President has the team he needs to move our country forward. Julie Su 
is a key member of that team. She is a highly qualified and proven 
leader.
  As California's secretary of labor and workforce development, 
Secretary Su oversees and protects the workforce for the State of 
California, the fifth largest economy in the world. When you add her 
work as an attorney and a nonprofit executive, she brings a wide mix of 
experience to the table. Coupled with a collaborative work style that 
gives everyone a seat at the table, Secretary Su has not only delivered 
on her agency's mission but has also improved and transformed her 
agency.
  Her success and effectiveness is best summed up in the words of her 
own staff at the agency she has led for more than 7 years:

       During Ms. Su's seven years as California Labor 
     Commissioner, she remade the agency in ways that many would 
     have thought impossible.
       She increased efficiency throughout the division and broke 
     down departmental silos that had stifled effective 
     collaboration and caused redundancy.
       Moreover, under her leadership, the Labor Commissioner's 
     office reworked its investigative bureau into a cutting edge 
     labor enforcement team that dug deep into complex cases that 
     the Labor Commissioner's office had been previously 
     unequipped to handle.
       Complex, high quality investigations that had previously 
     been rare--if not unthinkable--became standard operating 
     procedure.

  Secretary Su is an excellent manager. Not only does she deliver 
results, she invests in her own staff by providing them with the 
resources and environment they need to get the job done. She builds 
diverse teams and then empowers them to do their best work--all while 
knowing who they are. I mean this literally.
  Again, in the words of her staff:

       She was legendary for having learned the names of every one 
     of the more than 600 staff within the Labor Commissioner's 
     office, from secretarial support staff to investigators, 
     deputies, and legal staff.

  Julie Su will also bring diverse life experiences to the Department. 
She is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Her immigrant background 
shaped Secretary Su personally and professionally. Her own lived 
experience offered her insight into how segments of our economy leave 
people behind or even exclude them from experiencing the benefits of 
economic growth and opportunities.
  Her professional career reflects this life lesson as she has 
established a long and distinguished record of fighting for

[[Page S4843]]

worker rights and civil rights. From defending the rights of Thai 
garment workers to protecting low-wage workers against abuses, 
Secretary Su has worked tirelessly to help people and communities that 
might not otherwise have access to justice. This sense of fairness and 
the desire to fight injustice will be critical for the Department of 
Labor, particularly as the Department works to address the pandemic's 
disproportionate impact on women and minorities.
  Given her proven track record and commitment to worker and fair labor 
rights, I have every confidence that Secretary Su will protect all 
sectors of our workforce and will work to lift everyone from this 
pandemic. Moreover, her experience in managing labor policy at the 
executive level for the State of California over the last decade will 
enable Secretary Su to hit the ground running immediately after she is 
confirmed.
  In particular, through the COVID-19 pandemic, Secretary Su has dealt 
with the overwhelming demand for assistance from workers who are 
suffering or who are unemployed. She has helped her State combat the 
organized crime attacks and employment fraud that have affected all 50 
States, including, of course, California, with its large economy. She 
has worked to address systemic shortcomings that bad actors have 
exploited during this pandemic. Secretary Su led an effort to stop 
fraudulent actors from taking advantage of the unemployment system, 
dating back to the beginning of the pandemic, and the State of 
California has already begun prosecuting these offenders. The U.S. 
Department of Labor ultimately advised all States to take the same 
steps Secretary Su took in order to cut down on fraudulent claims.
  Despite the many challenges brought on by the pandemic, Secretary Su 
has never lost sight of her ultimate goal: to provide millions of 
workers access to unemployment benefits and other assistance. In these 
economic times, Secretary Su's leadership skills and proven track 
record of experience and effectiveness are just what we need.
  Her nomination also proves something I believe deeply: When you look 
for the most qualified person, you get diversity, and when you 
prioritize diversity, you get the most qualified people--people who 
reflect all of America and who are able to serve all of America.
  Secretary Su's nomination is supported by many who see their stories 
reflected in hers, including labor leaders from the AFL-CIO and SEIU, 
business leaders from the Small Business Majority, and civil rights 
leaders from the National Women's Law Center and the National 
Employment Law Project.
  Secretary Su will be an outstanding Deputy Secretary of Labor. I am 
proud to support her nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the 
same.
  I yield the floor
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, today's workers are really struggling 
through one of the most unequal economic crises in modern American 
history. With millions out of a job and millions more struggling to get 
by, it is clear that workers need a Deputy Secretary of Labor who is 
committed to building back a stronger, fairer economy. They need 
someone who will work diligently to make sure workers have a fair and 
just workplace, a livable wage, a secure retirement, safe working 
conditions, access to accommodations, and are treated with dignity and 
respect, which is why I am so glad to support Julie Su's nomination.
  As a labor lawyer, Julie Su fought to defend Thai garment workers who 
were trafficked into the United States and forced to work behind barbed 
wire and under armed guard. Then she pushed to change the law to make 
sure corporations were held responsible for working conditions in their 
supply chains.
  As California labor commissioner, Julie Su cracked down on wage theft 
and launched a multilingual campaign to help workers understand their 
rights and feel safe about speaking up about employers who stole their 
wages.
  As California's secretary of labor, Julie Su has implemented 
increases to the State minimum wage, created good-paying, high-quality 
jobs, expanded access to benefits for gig workers and workers who are 
paid low wages, and protected essential workers who are bearing the 
brunt of this pandemic.
  It is clear that her experience in leading one of the largest State 
labor departments in the Nation, her decades-long commitment to 
fighting for workers' rights, and her personal story as the 
multilingual daughter of Chinese immigrants have given her the 
experience, background, and values to be a successful Deputy Secretary 
of Labor.
  She is the right person for the job, and I urge our colleagues to 
join me in voting to confirm her because, right now, too many workers 
still lack crucial protections and rights and struggle to make ends 
meet, especially women, workers of color, LGBTQ workers, migrant 
workers, and workers with disabilities.
  To build back an economy that works for everyone, not just the 
biggest corporations and wealthiest individuals, it is critical that we 
have a fully staffed Department of Labor and leaders who are committed 
to protecting workers. So it is critical that we confirm Julie Su as 
Deputy Secretary of Labor without delay.
  I yield the floor.