Julie Su was California's Labor Secretary during the pandemic and is accused of presiding over tens of billions of dollars in fraudulent unemployment insurance payments. And as U.S. deputy Labor secretary, she helped to impose "vaccine" mandates on businesses. Republican lawmakers also blame Su for costing independent contractors work opportunities by pushing a law that reclassified them as employees.
Walker Wildmon, vice president for American Family Association, says controversy has followed Su wherever she goes, not to mention her far-left political values. "She's bad news on multiple fronts," he tells AFN. "[She's] not only bad news from a worldview/ideology perspective, she's also heavily in bed with the unions."
Su has been described as an early advocate of critical race theory, the Marxist premise that America is systemically racist and white people routinely oppress minorities. That focus troubles Wildmon.
"The increased weaponization of the Department of Labor is a very, very big concern for conservative groups and religious groups," he shares.
And Wildmon contends Su would be Biden's latest "diversity hire."
"The Biden crew has been pushing [diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)] hard ever since they got into office," he argues. "They want to make this all about quotas. They want to make this all about making sure We get this transsexual over here and we've got enough people of this ethnicity over here. It's all identity politics."
AFA has issued an Action Alert urging its supporters to contact their senators and tell them to oppose Su's nomination.
Joining AFA in opposition to the nomination is Job Creators Network, which accuses her of being "desperate to hide her radical anti-small business positions"; and Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-California), who has described her as "the worst possible pick" for the position. In addition, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (West Virginia) has expressed "genuine concerns" about Su's progressive background and said he cannot support her nomination.
Su has been endorsed for Labor secretary by the Communist Party of Maine.
