White House officials are launching a final lobbying push to convince undecided senators to vote for Julie Su, President Joe Biden’s embattled labor secretary nominee.
Their message is clear: it’s time for lawmakers to take a public stance on Su—one way or the other—so that the Biden administration can move on, according to three people familiar with the strategy. The White House hasn’t said outright that Su’s nomination is in trouble, and reiterated its support during a press conference May 3.
But it’s likely a make-or-break moment for Biden’s first Cabinet replacement.
White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients recently instructed senior-level White House officials—such as Domestic Policy Council Director Susan Rice, National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard, and Senior Adviser Gene Sperling—to get involved in the effort to clear Su’s nomination, according to an administration official familiar with the discussions. Zients has also told labor unions to deploy all their grassroots firepower, including state federations, to turn up the heat on lawmakers’ home turf. Celeste Drake, Biden’s top labor adviser, has also been working to gin up union participation.
“The indication is that the White House is not giving up,” said Celine McNicholas, a lobbyist for the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.
Su’s nomination has stalled since clearing the Senate’s labor...
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