Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA 06) organized a press conference on Wednesday, joining with California Assembly Republicans in their opposition to the nomination of Julie Su for the role of U.S. Secretary of Labor. President Joe Biden nominated Su to fill the shoes of departed Labor Secretary Marty Walsh.
RedState has reported what a disaster this would be here, here, and here. Congressman Kiley was joined by Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, business leaders, and freelancers affected by California’s AB5 law. Members of the California Assembly: Josh Hoover (AD-07), Joe Patterson (AD-05), Jim Patterson (AD-08), and Bill Essayli (AD-63) also joined Kiley and Gallagher on the steps of the State Capitol in Sacramento. Since this nomination was announced, many other organizations have rallied behind Congressman Kiley to oppose Su’s nomination, including the California Business and Industrial Alliance (CABIA), the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), and the International Franchise Association (IFA).
Opposition is growing to Biden’s Labor nominee. The disasters she and Newsom inflicted on California must not afflict our country. pic.twitter.com/8vzdVJAjDU
— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) March 13, 2023
Biden has nominated the worst possible person to be his new Secretary of Labor. A random name from the phone book would have been better. pic.twitter.com/0Ib4HIHoed
— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) March 1, 2023
Congressman Kiley opened up the press conference, and drew a bright line between the passage of California’s disastrous AB5, and the 32 billion in unemployment insurance fraud to Julie Su’s tenure as California’s Labor Secretary. Su’s hackery and incompetence affected millions of California residents and small business owners. Kiley declared Su:
Manifestly unqualified to be the next Secretary of Labor to the United States.
CABIA’s President and Founder Tom Manzo talked about Su’s hand in putting small businesses and entrepreneurs under the thumb of draconian labor laws—11,000 pages worth—and the cudgel of “wage theft” that has been imposed on many small businesses because of a simple error of a late lunch or an address discrepancy. Manzo also outlined Su’s enthusiastic championing and enforcement of AB5 and PAGA.
Manzo reminded all that CABIA was one of the first California organizations to oppose Su’s nomination for Deputy Labor Secretary. Sadly, this fell on deaf ears. Tom Indrieri of the Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce was also present, opposing the nomination. The smaller, more business-dependent community of Lincoln, California stands in sharp contrast to the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, which slathered all over itself in a letter of support for Su’s nomination.
Band Leader and Musician Aaron Gayden spoke for the five million freelancers, independent contractors, and self-employed whose livelihoods and businesses were decimated by AB5. Gayden warned that if Su is promoted to Secretary of Labor, she will push through the PRO Act and shepherd through the changes to the Independent Contractor Rule and the Election Protection Rule.
Gayden declared,
“The nation cannot stand having Julie Su as the Secretary of Labor.”
Asms. Josh Hoover, Jim Patterson, Joe Patterson, and Bill Essayli stood behind Kiley and Gallagher to show their support. Asm. Essayli had some harsh truths to share about the importance of competency, and how Biden’s nominees and appointees do not seem to measure up to that standard.
Case in point: Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, a poster child of incompetent leadership.
“He may be a talented politician, but he is an awful Transportation Department Secretary,” Essayli said.
“We are now seeing the results of incompetence at the top. Near misses at the airport, the first shutdown of U.S. airspace since 911, and the series of train derailments poisoning our communities and shaking rail passengers confidence in our system.
“Here in California we have firsthand experience with incompetence: We had Julie Su.
“Julie Su was asleep at the wheel, and struggling Californians paid the price.”
And should she be confirmed by the Senate, the entire nation will also pay that price. Essayli expressed his own shock that Su managed to fail upward, and is now so close to this executive-level cabinet position.
“I’m frankly shocked that she’s even being considered. I’m frankly shocked that she is even employed. She should be fired, and someone else be considered.”
Amen to that.
Congressman Kiley wrapped up the presser by pointing out that the California Way is not a model the nation should be following. Blind partisanship and governance for the sake of special interests, rather than the constituents and taxpayers only produces disaster and frankly, costs lives. The recent weather-related disasters in San Bernardino County, California and Governor Gavin Newsom’s failed response cost 13 people their lives, and there may be more to come. Just as Newsom’s horrible record of governance should disqualify him for higher office, so it should be for Julie Su. If she is allowed to take the reins of the U.S. Department of Labor, her horrible record of management in California will become a national reality.
You can watch the full, 28-minute press conference here.
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