Joe Manchin Opposes Biden Nominee For Labor Secretary

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) introduced his opposition to Julie Su, President Joe Biden’s selection to steer the Division of Labor, possible dooming her probabilities of affirmation within the narrowly divided Senate.

“I imagine the individual main the U.S. Division of Labor ought to have the expertise to collaboratively lead each labor and trade to forge compromises acceptable to each events,” Manchin mentioned in an announcement. “Whereas her credentials and {qualifications} are spectacular, I’ve real considerations that Julie Su’s extra progressive background prevents her from doing this and for that purpose I can not help her nomination to function Secretary of Labor.”

Manchin holds outsize leverage over Su’s affirmation given unanimous GOP opposition and several other undecided senators who caucus with the Democrats, together with Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.).

Su, the appearing Labor Division secretary, beforehand served as California’s high labor official, overseeing office security and policing wage theft within the nation’s most populous state. Labor unions and progressive teams enthusiastically backed her nomination, saying she would aggressively implement office protections, significantly for probably the most susceptible low-wage staff.

Teams representing Asian People and Pacific Islanders additionally pushed exhausting for Su, a daughter of Chinese language immigrants, to turn into the primary Asian American to function a Cupboard secretary beneath Biden.

However Su ran right into a wall of opposition from Republicans and GOP- allied enterprise teams who claimed she is anti-business. Republican senators additionally criticized Su for a way she administered California’s unemployment insurance coverage throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The state noticed excessive unemployment fraud, although fraud was excessive across the nation on the time.

For Manchin, Su is barely the most recent Biden nominee he has performed a distinguished position in blocking. The conservative West Virginia Democrat is up for reelection subsequent yr, and though he hasn’t introduced but whether or not he’ll search one other time period, he’s actually gave the impression of an endangered candidate operating in a crimson state that voted closely for Donald Trump.

Earlier this yr, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) introduced his marketing campaign for Senate in 2024. Justice is a high recruit for Senate Republicans, and his candidacy provides the GOP certainly one of their finest alternatives to flip a Senate seat subsequent yr.

“Make no mistake, I’ll win any race I enter,” Manchin mentioned in an announcement reacting to Justice’s announcement.