Executive Calendar--Continued

Floor Speech

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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 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.

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