WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden’s pick for labor secretary, Julie Su, will be retained as acting secretary indefinitely, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.
Su, who was a confirmed Senate labor activist after all Senate Republicans and two Democrats refused to endorse him, will continue in his current acting role and there is no discussion about withdrawing his nomination, the sources said.
The Biden administration believes there is no time limit on how long Su can serve as acting secretary because he has already been confirmed by the Senate as deputy labor secretary, the sources said. He is working under a policy that allows him to perform the duties of the secretary until a successor is appointed, they said.
The Biden administration does not have a confirmed labor secretary amid renewed labor strikes across the country.
Some union leaders say they don’t care.
Jimmy Williams Jr., general president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, who worked with Su and his predecessor Marty Walsh, said not having a confirmed labor secretary at this time was “irrelevant”.
“Policies were established in the first two years of this administration, Julie understands them, she supported them and was a part of them all,” he said. “You can keep walking within the established lines.”
But Republican lawmakers criticized the White House for allowing him to continue in his role indefinitely. Opponents of his nomination, including Democratic US Senator Joe Manchin, argued that his “progressive background” prevents him from striking a balance between labor and business representatives.
White House officials have repeatedly said publicly that the president’s support for Su is “unwavering” and that Biden and his aides will continue to fight for his confirmation.
“He is already doing the work he was appointed to do and he is doing it well,” said one of the sources. He can work in the election if necessary,” the source added.
Su, a human rights lawyer and former California labor commissioner, has served as deputy labor secretary since 2021.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons and Rosalba O’Brien)
Copyright 2023 Thomson Reuters.
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