(BIVN) – U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D, Hawaiʻi) on Monday took to the floor of the U.S. Senate to speak in favor of confirming Julie Su as Secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor.

From the office of Sen. Hirono:

Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) urged the U.S. Senate to swiftly confirm Julie Su, Acting Secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor, as the country’s next Secretary of Labor. Su, who was confirmed by the Senate to be the Deputy Secretary of Labor in July 2021, has been serving in her current role since former Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh departed from the agency earlier this year.

“As we continue working to rebuild and strengthen our economy, it is critical that the Department of Labor is led by someone committed to protecting the rights of all workers—and that person is Julie Su,” said Senator Hirono. “From combatting wage theft to expanding workforce training, Acting Secretary Su has spent her life fighting for workers.”

In her remarks on the Senate floor, Senator Hirono expressed her strong support for Julie Su’s nomination and emphasized Su’s exceptional qualifications to serve as the next Secretary of Labor.

“For the past two years, she’s served as Deputy Secretary of Labor alongside Secretary Walsh,” continued Senator Hirono. “Thanks to their hard work, our country has added a record 12.6 million jobs over the last two and a half years. What’s more, unemployment is at its lowest level in more than 50 years—a testament to the hard work of Secretary Walsh and Deputy Secretary Su.”

“Before coming to Washington, Julie spent decades fighting for workers in her home state of California as Secretary of Labor in California, commissioner of labor, and as a civil rights attorney,” continued Senator Hirono. “Beyond her stellar professional track record, Julie’s personal history informs her commitment to building an economy that puts workers first.”

Senator Hirono also highlighted the important representation Su would bring to the Biden-Harris Administration. If confirmed, Julie Su would be the first Asian-American in the Biden administration to serve in the Cabinet at the secretary level.

“Confirming Julie Su as Secretary of Labor is one of the most important things we can do to support workers, strengthen small businesses, and ensure our economy works for all of us—for working people,” concluded Senator Hirono.