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April 18, 2013

NHLA Launches National Campaign to Urge Prompt Senate Confirmation of Thomas Perez as Next Labor Secretary

Latino organizations and individuals are urged to act now to promote Perez’s track record of public service, expertise and nationwide bipartisan support

Washington, D.C. – The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a coalition of over 30 of the nation’s preeminent Latino organizations, launched its Confirm Tom online campaign today. The efforts call on constituents across the nation to urge their Senators to confirm an exceptionally qualified leader -- and the only Latino nominated so far to serve on the President's second-term Cabinet -- to the post of Secretary of Labor.

Through its action center at http://nationalhispanicleadership.org/confirmtom, NHLA will mobilize the grassroots networks of its member organizations to contact Senators and spread the word about Perez's accomplishments via social media using the #ConfirmTom Twitter hashtag. Through the site's tools, individuals can call, email and tweet their senators. The action center provides a place for Latino organizations from across the nation to build support for Perez by co-signing a letter to the Senate in advance of Perez’s confirmation vote. The action center also includes a compilation of statements of support from the growing coalition of Perez supporters in the business, civil rights, disability and labor communities, among many others.

“As the nation witnessed during his Senate confirmation hearing this morning, Thomas Perez is an exceptional civil rights and labor leader with a strong track record of protecting vulnerable communities -- from military families who were unfairly foreclosed upon during their service abroad, to voters from marginalized communities that had their voting rights threatened, to members of the disability community who are unnecessary victims of high unemployment, to hard working families trying to build a better future for their loved ones,” stated NHLA Chair, Hector Sanchez. “The President has nominated a truly experienced and proven public servant in Thomas Perez and we can't afford to just watch and hope that Senators will all do the right thing. We, as a united community, must act now to make sure that the each and every Senator knows Latinos in their state will be watching for them to swiftly confirm Thomas Perez.”

Perez is a role model to many in the Latino community. The son of Dominican immigrants earned his Bachelor's degree from Brown University and his Master's of Public Policy and J.D. from Harvard University. He went on to work as a special counsel to the late Senator Edward Kennedy, served under four presidential Administrations (most recently as Assistant Attorney General at the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division), and served as Labor Secretary and County Council Chair in Maryland.

As next steps in Perez's confirmation process, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee must vote to move Thomas Perez's nomination forward to the Senate floor for a vote. At that point, should a majority of U.S. Senators vote to support him, Perez would become the nation's first Dominican-American Cabinet member.

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.

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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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American GI Forum | ASPIRA Association, Inc. | 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 | 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 | 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