(The Center Square) – The U.S. Senate HELP Committee on Wednesday voted to send President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Labor the Senate for consideration.
The lawmakers voted in favor of Julie Su, who served as deputy secretary for the Department of Justice under the Biden administration.
Su has already taken fire for her stances while working on labor issues in California, and she likely faces a tough confirmation battle as Republicans and conservative groups unite against her.
“As head of California’s Employment Development Department, Su failed to follow the state auditor’s advice, which resulted in massive stolen identities and billions of taxpayers’ dollars sent to criminals,” Rachel Greszler, a labor policy expert at the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation, told The Center Square.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., called on Biden on Wednesday to withdraw the nomination.
“Given Julie Su’s abysmal track record in California, it’s clear that a promotion to the nation’s top labor office would be a disservice to the American people,” he wrote on Twitter.
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky. and Lisa McClain, R-Mich., have launched an investigation into Su’s record but say they have not gotten the answers they are looking for yet.
Comer argues Su could bring that same waste and abuse to the federal level.
“California’s UI system has been plagued by rampant waste, fraud and abuse,” the committee said in a press release Wednesday. “Estimates show as much as over $32 billion in fraudulent claims have been paid out by the state during the pandemic. This theft of taxpayer dollars happened while Julie Su oversaw the California unemployment insurance program. Su is currently going through the Senate confirmation process to become the Secretary of Labor.”
Although Republicans are rallying opposition to Su, it’s unclear if it will be enough to stop the nomination.
