The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Wednesday voted to advance the nomination of Julie Su as Labor Secretary.
Su’s party-line advance through the HELP committee, which is chaired by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), now sets up a vote on the full Senate floor. A simple majority is necessary for confirmation, and no Republicans are expected to vote yes. Multiple Democrats have been away from Washington for extended periods to deal with illnesses, such as Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), further complicating the math needed to approve her nomination.
A few Democrats are still undecided, including Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT). Two Independents – Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Sen. Angus King (I-ME) – are also undecided.
President Biden nominated Su to the position in February 2023.
Su, who has served as U.S. deputy secretary of labor since 2021, stepped in as acting secretary of labor after the resignation of Marty Walsh in early March 2023. Before her tenure in the Department of Labor, she served as Labor Secretary of California under Governor Gavin Newsom and ran the state’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) under Governor Jerry Brown.
