Tom Harkin: “I am pleased we are finally at the point where we can vote on the nomination of Thomas Perez to serve as Secretary of…”

“I am pleased we are finally at the point where we can vote on the nomination of Thomas Perez to serve as Secretary of Labor. Indeed, it seems as though the most important question before us today has gotten lost in all of the debate. Will Tom Perez be a good Secretary of Labor? The answer is unequivocally yes. There is no question that he has the knowledge and experience needed to guide this critically important agency. His outstanding work in Maryland as their secretary of labor has won him the support of the business community and workers alike. Here is a quote from the endorsement letter from the Maryland Chamber of Commerce: Mr. Perez proved himself to be a pragmatic public official who is willing to bring differing voices together. The Maryland Chamber had the opportunity to work with Mr. Perez on an array of issues of importance to employers in Maryland, from unemployment and workforce development to the housing and foreclosure crisis. Despite differences of opinion, Mr. Perez was always willing to allow all parties to be heard and we found him to be fair and collaborative. I believe that our experiences with him here in Maryland bode well for the nation. That is a pretty strong endorsement by a chamber of commerce for a nominee whom the minority leader this morning characterized as a ``leftwing ideologue . . . willing to bend the law to achieve his ideological ends.'' That is what the minority leader said this morning.…”