Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced his opposition to Julie Su, President Joe Biden’s choice to lead the Department of Labor, likely dooming her chances of confirmation in the narrowly divided Senate.
“I believe the person leading the U.S. Department of Labor should have the experience to collaboratively lead both labor and industry to forge compromises acceptable to both parties,” Manchin said in a statement. “While her credentials and qualifications are impressive, I have genuine concerns that Julie Su’s more progressive background prevents her from doing this and for that reason I cannot support her nomination to serve as Secretary of Labor.”
Manchin holds outsize leverage over Su’s confirmation given unanimous GOP opposition and several undecided senators who caucus with the Democrats, including Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.).
Su, the acting Labor Department secretary, previously served as California’s top labor official, overseeing workplace…