Thomas Daschle: “I am glad we are finally going to consider President Clinton's nominee for Secretary of Labor, Alexis Herman. She…”

“I am glad we are finally going to consider President Clinton's nominee for Secretary of Labor, Alexis Herman. She deserves a swift confirmation by the United States Senate. Ms. Herman's contributions during her career in public service and in the private sector are truly impressive and make her uniquely qualified to serve as Secretary of Labor. Ms. Herman's commitment to bettering the working and living conditions of her fellow Americans began early in her life, with the support and encouragement of her family. Born in segregated Mobile, Alabama, Ms. Herman grew up in a family dedicated to the struggle for civil rights. Her father, a mortician, sued the Democratic Party to make it more inclusive and became one of Alabama's first black party officials. After graduating from Louisiana's Xavier University, Herman went back home to Mobile to help desegregate her Catholic high school. She also worked in Pascagoula, MS, the hometown of Senator Lott, helping unskilled workers get jobs in the shipyards. Ms. Herman came to Washington in 1977 to work in the Labor Department with Secretary Ray Marshall, where she headed the women's bureau.”