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[Pages S6087-S6088]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONFIRMATION OF EUGENE SCALIA
Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, I want to express my disapproval of the
confirmation of Eugene Scalia as Secretary of Labor. America's workers
are the backbone of our economy, and the Secretary of Labor should be
entrusted to strengthen worker protections, support unions, and play a
crucial role in ensuring a just economy. Instead, Eugene Scalia has
repeatedly demonstrated that he prioritizes the well-being of corporate
interests over those of workers. Throughout his career as a corporate
lawyer, he fought against unions, worker safety regulations, and
consumer protections rules. For those reasons, I do not believe Eugene
Scalia is fit to serve as Secretary of Labor.
My grandfather was one of the first Black members of United Auto
Workers at Ford Motor Company, and through him, I learned the
importance of worker rights that collective bargaining provides.
Through collective action, unions are able to provide workers with
livable wages, safe working conditions, and access to benefits like
healthcare coverage and retirement savings. Not only has Eugene Scalia
represented companies in arbitrations against collective bargaining
agreements, but he identifies it as one of his most significant career
moments. The Secretary of Labor should be doing everything in their
power to make it easier--not harder--for working people to join unions.
Eugene Scalia also represented the Chamber of Commerce in working to
overturn the fiduciary rule, a commonsense step towards protecting the
retirement security of countless working families. Employers trying to
design a quality plan for their workers, workers starting to save, and
retirees trying to avoid spending down their nest egg too quickly
deserve access to quality advice, without fear that financial bias is
[[Page S6088]]
clouding their broker's judgment. Unfortunately, that access to
quality, unbiased advice was ultimately overturned, in part thanks to
the efforts of Eugene Scalia.
More Federal oversight and stricter safeguards are necessary to
prevent the exploitation and discrimination of working people; yet
Eugene Scalia has dedicated his career to fighting against the existing
safeguards. He argued that more than 30 women alleging sexual
harassment and retaliation should have their claims thrown out,
defended a company that refused to hire a woman because she had
dreadlocks, and fought against corporate whistleblowers. He has also
worked to undermine the rights and protections provided by the
Americans with Disabilities Act, stating that workers with disabilities
should not be provided workplace accommodations.
When I go back to my home in Newark, I see many working families
struggling to make ends meet, sometimes while working two to three
jobs. They often face underemployment, wage stagnation, wage theft, and
a variety of other tactics meant to keep wages down and suppress worker
rights. They deserve a Secretary of Labor that will fight for them. The
Trump administration and the previous Secretary of Labor have been
relentless in their efforts to roll back workers' rights, attack
unions, and undermine civil liberties. Unfortunately, I do not have any
reason to believe that Secretary Scalia will be any different. This is
why I must express my deep concern and opposition to his nomination and
confirmation as Secretary of Labor.
____________________
