Business group prods Senate to reject Julie Su for labor secretary, warns she’s an over-regulator

The National Federation of Independent Business is calling on a Senate committee to reject the nomination of Julie Su for secretary of labor.

The nomination of Ms. Su, who is currently the acting labor secretary, will get a vote Tuesday by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Jeff Brabant, NFIB vice president of Federal Government Relations, warned that Ms. Su has “consistently demonstrated a lack of interest in complying with the Regulatory Flexibility Act.”

The act requires the department and other agencies to consider the impact their rules or regulations will have on small businesses.

“Small business owners deserve a Secretary that will comply with this bi-partisan law and enact less burdensome rules that consider the unique challenges small business owners face when trying to comply with federal regulations,” Mr. Brabant said.

The federation found that small business owners rank “unreasonable government regulations” as one of their main business problems.

Ms. Su, a civil rights attorney and former head of California’s labor department, became acting secretary in March of last year. Her confirmation as secretary has been stalled for nearly a year.

President Biden has been unwavering about his support for Ms. Su, though she faces solid opposition from Republicans and potentially enough opposition from Democrats to sink her nomination.

Sen. Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrat, said in July that he opposed her nomination because he has “genuine concerns that Julie Su’s more progressive background prevents her” from forging “compromises acceptable to both parties.”

Others say she has minimal experience in negotiations between workers and management, and some consider her anti-business.