May 7, 2013 - National Hispanic Leadership Agenda joins the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to Urge the Senate to Confirm Thomas Perez as Labor Secretary

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MAY 7, 2013 CHC-NHLA Press Conference in Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C. | May 7, 2013

Washington D.C. -- This afternoon the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus held a press conference on Capitol Hill urging the Senate to confirm Thomas Perez as Secretary of Labor. The gathered leaders of the Hispanic community hailed Mr. Perez as a consensus builder with an outstanding record of service at the local, state, and federal levels. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee is scheduled to vote on Mr. Perez's nomination tomorrow.

"Thomas Perez has amassed an exceptional resume in state and local government and under Republican and Democratic presidents in the federal government. His approach to public service--finding consensus and getting results--makes him an outstanding choice for Secretary of Labor. His work as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice exemplifies his committment to defending the most vulnerable among us: from the disabled to unemployed veterans. With much of our country and the Hispanic community struggling to rebound from the Great Recession, Mr. Perez will provide the leadership our nation needs from the Labor Department. Our community will be closely monitoring the Senate's confirmation proceeding and we urge all Senators to support Mr. Perez," said Hector Sanchez, chair of NHLA and Executive Director of LCLAA.

“Tom Perez’s resilience and professional experience make him the right man for the job of Labor Secretary. He is a man that is known to be a pragmatic leader and consensus builder. Tom has worked with both the public and private sector, cultivating strong relationships with CEOs, labor leaders, and representatives from all levels of federal and local government. As the nation’s largest Hispanic business association, we have great confidence that Tom Perez will serve as a solid Labor Secretary,” said Javier Palomarez, President and CEO of the U.S Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

"Tom Perez has been a proven leader in many areas, particularly labor and justice. While at the Justice Department he increased the division’s productivity and stood up for our military men and women by recovering $50 million for them from wrongfully foreclosed homes. Turning around the Civil Rights Division while increasing its achievements proves that he has the talent to lead at the highest levels. He is qualified to be the next Secretary of Labor and is well respected for his knowledge and experience in working with labor issues. He is an outstanding candidate and should be confirmed immediately as Secretary of Labor," said Ignacio Salazar, President and CEO of SER-Jobs for Progress National Inc.

NHLA launched an online action center last month at nationalhispanicleadership.org/confirmtom with information on Mr. Perez's nomination and tools for the public to get engaged in supporting his confirmation by contacting their Senators and organizing online via social media. On the site, Latino organizations across the nation can also co-sign a letter up through this Friday urging the Senate to swiftly confirm Mr. Perez as the nation's next Labor Secretary.

Established in 1991, The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA) brings together Hispanic leaders to establish policy priorities that address, and raise public awareness of, the major issues affecting the Latino community and the nation as a whole. NHLA's "Confirm Tom" campaign is part of the coalition's Latino Appointments Program that is dedicated to identifying and supporting Latino candidates pursuing political and career positions in the federal government. For more information, please visit www.nationalhispanicleadership.org and follow @NHLAgenda.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

| Melody Gonzales | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (202) 508-6917 |

| Brenda Arredondo | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (915) 373-1483 |

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