Washington, D.C. – Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) released the following statement applauding President Biden’s decision to nominate Julie Su to serve as Deputy Secretary of Labor:

“President Biden has made an excellent decision in nominating a progressive champion for workers’ rights to be the Deputy Secretary of Labor. From her time fighting for full civil rights as the Litigation Director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles to her dedicated public service on behalf of workers as California Labor Commissioner and then the state’s Labor Secretary, Julie Su has spent years powerfully advocating for working people, families, and a more equitable economy. I am excited to see President Biden nominate such a brilliant, talented, experienced, and progressive leader as he recognizes the wealth of contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and continues to build an administration that reflects the diversity of America.

“We know that Julie will ensure that the voices of working people are always at the table as the Department of Labor and the entire Biden Administration leads our country out of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. That’s why the Congressional Progressive Caucus proudly worked over the last two months to urge President Biden and his administration to nominate Julie and ensure that she could contribute her exemplary service to working people across America at a pivotal moment for our nation.

“We look forward to partnering closely with Julie as we work to provide COVID-19 relief that meets the scale of the crisis, put people back to work, and give workers more power. Continuing the critical progress that Julie made in California, we will protect essential workers, expand collective bargaining and the right to unionize, and build a strong families infrastructure package by investing in the caregiving economy. We also look forward to working with Julie to support small and minority-owned businesses by providing direct assistance in the form of grants to keep people on payroll and rehire workers. Together, we must ensure that no worker, family, or small business is left behind as America recovers.”

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