Biden’s Labor nominee would cause more chaos

The frequent stream of crises that has been the hallmark of the Biden administration have one thing in common: they’re all self-inflicted. The border crisis is the direct result of radical open border policy. The inflation crisis was the direct result of massive government spending. The crime crisis accelerating in Democratic-run cities is the direct result of the “defund-the-police” movement.

We’ve had one failed experiment in radical policy after another, all pushed by Biden appointees selected for their adherence to extreme ideology rather than their ability to lead an organization. The results have been catastrophic for the American people.

Now on the horizon we face another extremist Biden appointee, with a whole new set of radical ideas that she would like to test on our country. Her name is Julie Su and she’s been nominated to serve as Secretary of the Department of Labor.

Su’s extreme views on immigration are an immediate cause for concern. During her tenure as California State Labor Commissioner, Su directed her staff to obstruct federal Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officials, and she designed policies to tip off illegal immigrants that ICE was searching for them.

Under Su’s leadership, California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) staff were instructed to not aid federal law enforcement. Instead, they were required to assist illegal aliens in filing retaliation claims against their employers.

Now Su wants to bring these extremist views to the nation’s top Labor position where she will have considerable influence on labor and immigration policies. She’s already being touted as an important ally by illegal immigration advocates who are pushing to decriminalize illegal border crossings and an end to workplace immigration raids.

We know from her record in California that Su is not shy about plowing ahead with radical policies, even when they have consequences detrimental to American workers.

Here’s another example. As the Secretary of California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) Su was best known for championing the short-lived AB 5, the so-called “Gig Worker Bill” that effectively banned people from working as independent contractors in most professions. AB 5 was intended to bring substantial government intervention into the employment practices of private businesses, but it’s real effect was to destroy job opportunities for millions of Californians.

Su’s Gig Worker Bill was so unpopular that it was overturned by a ballot initiative after just over a year. It turns out even voters in leftist California appreciate giving flexibility and choice to workers rather than infantilizing them.

Even though Su’s Gig Worker Bill was in effect for just a year, it is credited with contributing to the great California Exodus. For the first time in a century, California’s population is declining, driven primarily by unfavorable conditions imposed by government, including incredibly high taxes, high housing costs caused by over-regulation, and crushing restrictions on businesses, such as Su’s Gig Worker Bill.

For the left, the consequences of failed policy don’t matter — ideological dogma trumps all.

That’s why the Biden administration has proposed a nationwide implementation of California’s disastrous Gig Worker experiment. Su is well suited to implement this radical policy — she’s already done it in California.

The last thing our country needs are further experiments in radical policy, especially with our economy teetering on the brink.

Sen. Jon Tester is in a pivotal position on this nomination and could block it. That’s exactly what we need him to do — American workers deserve a Labor Secretary who has exhibited competence and leadership, not another radical ideologue intent on testing out the latest Marxist theory. Our country can’t afford another crisis.

Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe is the vice-chair of the Montana House Business & Labor Committee. She represents House District 43 in Billings.