After Months of Partisan Haggling, Confirmation Vote is a Victory for Latino Community and the American Economy

Washington, D.C. -- The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a coalition of 36 of the nation’s preeminent Latino organizations, praised the confirmation by the Senate today of Thomas Perez as Labor Secretary on a vote of 54-46. Perez will become the one Latino named to the President’s second-term Cabinet and the first Dominican-American Cabinet member in U.S. history.

Perez takes the helm at the Labor Department, continuing a distinguished career defending vulnerable populations at the federal, state and local levels, most recently as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice and previously as the Maryland Secretary of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Until his confirmation today, President Obama’s cabinet has lacked Latino representation since former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and former Labor Secretary Hilda Solis resigned from their respective offices earlier this year.

In advance of yesterday’s vote to end cloture, NHLA sent a letter signed by 70 Latino organizations urging Senators to support Perez. In advance of the final vote, NHLA sent a subsequent letter to the U.S. Senate urging them to confirm Perez and informing Senators that their vote on this nominee may be scored. A summary of Senators' votes will be posted at latinoappointments.org.

Following are reactions from NHLA leaders on today’s historic Senate vote:

"We are delighted that, after four months of political gamesmanship and obstruction in the Senate, Tom Perez can join the president’s cabinet and begin his work as Labor Secretary to create jobs and defend the rights of our nation's workforce," said Hector Sanchez, chair of NHLA and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA). "From protecting voting rights to prosecuting hate crimes to defending the disabled, Perez has made fighting for people his life's work. With the Hispanic community and so much of our country still recovering from the Great Recession, I can think of no better leader for the Department of Labor."

“Perez has been a champion for civil rights, voting rights and immigrant communities,” said Brent Wilkes, National Executive Director for the League of United Latin American Citizens and NHLA Vice-Chair. “As Secretary of Labor, we expect Tom Perez to continue his track record of standing up for the powerless and holding the powerful accountable.”

"The post of Secretary of Labor is too important to be held hostage to reckless political nihilism," stated Thomas A. Saenz, President and General Counsel of MALDEF. "Fortunately, a measure of rationality emerged in the Senate to secure the confirmation of an eminently qualified nominee to this critical Cabinet position."

“Today’s decision to confirm Tom Perez as the next Secretary of Labor is a critical victory for hardworking families across this nation,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of National Council of La Raza (NCLR). “Perez’s decades of service as an elected and appointed official have shown him to be a staunch supporter of workers’ rights with the keen ability to build consensus among stakeholders. We are confident that Perez has the unique expertise and leadership experience to successfully oversee the work of the Department of Labor, which is especially important for struggling Latinos who face high levels of unemployment.”

“Mr. Perez is a dedicated public servant that has the talent and experience necessary to excel from his first day on the job. We congratulate Mr. Perez on being the first Latino to be confirmed for a cabinet position in the President’s second term and look forward to working with him in this new position,” said Arturo Vargas, Executive Director of the NALEO Educational Fund. “We call on the President to act swiftly to ensure his cabinet is fully representative of the diversity of this great nation by nominating a high level Latino candidate to serve as the next U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.”

“With millions of U.S. workers still unemployed and millions more no longer eligible for unemployment benefits, the confirmation of Tom Perez will enable the President to have his person at the helm of a Department whose role is exceedingly critical to getting Americans back to work,” said Dr. Juan Andrade, President of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute. “The Senate leadership from both parties is to be commended for allowing this vote to move forward.”

"The National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives (NAHFE) is proud to have Tom Perez as our new Secretary for the Labor Department," said Al Gallegos, National President, National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives (NAHFE). "NAHFE looks forward to working with him in issues related to labor within the Federal Government as well as with issues involving the under-representation of Hispanics within the Federal Government."

"The confirmation today of Mr. Tom Perez as U.S. Secretary of Labor is a credit to the Senate and the Obama Administration,” said Ignacio Salazar, President and CEO, SER-Jobs for Progress National Inc. “Mr. Perez is well qualified and experienced to perform the duties of the Secretary of Labor. As an independent thinker he is expected to make significant and needed changes to our Workforce System. He is a unique leader."

"The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) – the leading national organization working to improve the lives of Hispanic older adults, their families, and caregivers – is thrilled to hear the news of Tom Perez’s confirmation as Secretary of Labor. As the U.S. population ages, it is more important than ever to make workplaces inclusive of people of all ages. NHCOA looks forward to working with Secretary Perez on this important issue." said Yanira Cruz, National Hispanic Council on Aging President.

"Farmworker Justice looks forward to working with Secretary of Labor Tom Perez to improve wages and working conditions for the people who cultivate and harvest our crops and tend our livestock," said Bruce Goldstein, Farmworker Justice President.

"We thank Senator Reid and the Senate leadership for moving forward with this vote and allowing Mr. Perez to begin doing his job in safeguarding the well-being and livelihood of American workers," stated José Calderón, the President of the Hispanic Federation. "Mr. Perez has dedicated his life to public service and has a stellar record in fighting for equal employment and educational opportunities for all Americans. We are confident that he will work tirelessly to uplift America’s working families and our nation’s economy."

"After much delay, I am pleased to learn that the Senate has confirmed Tom Perez," said Alex Nogales, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition. "Throughout his career he has proven to be a thoughtful and fair professional with an aptitude for justice. Tom is a distinguished public servant. During his time at the Department of Justice he fought to enforce the civil rights of all people in the United States. I am heartened to know that President Obama will have such an excellent advisor by his side in the Cabinet, and I hope that Mr. Obama will continue to focus on appointing Latinos and Latinas to his Cabinet and to other high-ranking positions."

"By forcing a re-examination of the filibuster rules, Tom Peréz, has shown that quality trumps partisanship," said Juan Cartagena, President and General Counsel, LatinoJustice PRLDEF. "Our laborers of all races are now better off with his leadership. Many thanks to the Senate. Finally."

“HNBA is pleased to see the Senate move forward and confirm President Obama’s nomination of Tom Perez as Secretary of Labor," said Peter Reyes, Hispanic National Bar Association President. We hope to see more qualified Latinos – and Latino attorneys –brought into the administration to address the needs and concerns of Hispanics and all Americans.”

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.In January, the coalition launched its new Latino Appointments Program to identify and support junior to Cabinet-level Latino candidates pursuing presidential and state-level appointments. For more information, please visit www.latinoappointments.org and follow @NHLAgenda.

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American GI Forum | ASPIRA Association, Inc. | Avance | Casa de Esperanza | Cuban American National Council | Farmworkers Justice | Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities | Hispanic Federation | Hispanic National Bar Association | Labor Council for Latin American Advancement | Latino Justice PRLDEF | League of United Latin American Citizens | MANA, A National Latina Organization | Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund | National Alliance of Latin American & Caribbean Communities | NALEO Educational Fund | National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives | National Association of Hispanic Publications | National Association of Latino Independent Producers | National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, Inc. | National Council of La Raza | National Hispana Leadership Institute | National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators | National Hispanic Council on Aging | National Hispanic Environmental Council | National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts | National Hispanic Media Coalition | National Hispanic Medical Association | National Institute for Latino Policy | National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health | National Puerto Rican Coalition, Inc. | SER – Jobs for Progress National, Inc. | Southwest Voter Registration Education Project | United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute