To the Perez Nomination, We Say “Yes!”

With the departures of Hilda Solis and Ken Salazar, the Obama administration is without a single Latino in the cabinet. We called on the president to show his support and commitment to diversity by nominating a Latino to fill the vacancy.  Perez would be the first Latino cabinet secretary in the president’s second-term cabinet.

Earlier today, the president did just that with the nomination of Tom Perez as Secretary of Labor.  We couldn’t be more pleased with this announcement.

“Throughout Tom’s remarkable career no one has been a stronger champion of working families, including the millions of Hispanic families he has directly helped through his work.  We believe that his considerable talent, experience and expertise coupled with his commitment and compassion will make him an exceptional Labor Secretary,” said our President and CEO Janet Murguía, in a statement. “Thanks to his courageous leadership on issues ranging from education to voting rights to immigration, Tom is a hero to many in the Latino community, both in his native Maryland and across the country.  We commend the president on this stellar choice.  We support this nomination without reservation and urge the Senate to confirm him for this position as quickly as possible.”

We look forward to the Senate conducting a fair and swift confirmation process so that Perez can get to work addressing the needs of America’s workforce.