Thomas E. Perez has been confirmed as Secretary of Labor following hotly contested Senate rules and deliberation regarding his nomination. The Thursday confirmation was a result of a 54-46 vote by the Senate on his appointment to the position. The most prestigious civil rights lawyers in the country will now be the only Latino on President Barack Obama's cabinet as he leads the Department of Labor, the New York Times reported.
Obama announced Perez's nomination in March. He is set to take over for Hilda Solis, who leaves the position to begin a possible campaign for a seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors after four years at her current post. The controversy regarding Perez stems from a deal he struck with the city of St. Paul, Minn. when he worked alongside the Justice Department that dropped a case pending in the Supreme Court that the administration believed could harm the ability to enforce housing discrimination laws. Republicans claimed that he worked outside his jurisdiction in doing so.
Perez was confimed following Tuesday's deal between senators regarding a threat by the Democrats to change Senate fillibuster rules to disallow minorities from blocking excutive branch nominations. Republicans were but one vote short Wednesday from sustaining a fillibuster. The deal also resulted in the confirmation of two other leaders: Richard Cordray to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Gina McCarthy to the Environmental Protection Agency.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
