President Joe Biden is confident in his nomination of Julie Su to replace outgoing Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and wants the Senate to confirm her as soon as possible, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday.
Biden chose Su, who currently serves as deputy secretary of labor, on Tuesday. Republicans noted that when Su led California's Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the state fulfilled an estimated $20 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims and delayed payments to more than 5 million people.
BIDEN TOUTS SU FOR LABOR SECRETARY: 'JULIE IS THE AMERICAN DREAM'
"Under Julie's leadership, California took important steps to process a number of claims. We're talking about 1 in 5," Jean-Pierre said during Wednesday's White House press briefing when asked about the fraudulent claims. "That's what California was dealing with, to ensure that working people who were out of work, and this was not their fault."
"So look, she believes in safety nets, and they need to be strengthened. That is something that she indeed believes in, and I'll add this as well. When the president took office, he prioritized combating potential frauds of relief funds, just as he did aggressively and successfully as the vice president. So, this is an issue that's important to her, strengthening those safety nets, and also the issue that's important to the president that he's actually taken action on."
Su was confirmed into her current post with 50 votes from Democratic senators, and some concerns remain about when Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) will return to Capitol Hill after receiving treatment for chronic depression at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Asked if Biden still believes she can be confirmed in the current Congress, Jean-Pierre responded, "Absolutely, yes."
"He thinks that the Senate should confirm her, and she is the right person for the job and has the experience to do the job," she responded. "Let's not forget she has spent the last two years working hand-in-hand with Secretary Walsh."
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You can watch Wednesday's briefing in full below.