Washington, DC
March 1, 2023
Thank you. Okay. (Laughter and applause.) Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. President, for your words and for your trust.
Sixty years ago, my mom came to the United States on a cargo ship because she couldn’t afford a passenger ticket.
Recently, she got a call from the President of the United States telling her that her daughter was going to be nominated to be U.S. Labor Secretary. (Applause.)
So, I believe in the transformative power of America, and I know the transformative power of a good job. I know because it was the kind of job that my mom got that had predictable hours, paid sick leave, health benefits, a secure income, and a pension when she retired. A union job that gave my parents a path to the middle class and gave our family the kind of breathing room that the President talks about.
We have never had a President who has made workers, worker wellbeing, and worker power so central to his vision of a strong nation and a strong economy. (Applause.)
Mr. President, when you said you wanted to be the most pro-worker, pro-union President in history and restore decency and build the middle class, I said, “Sign me up for that.” (Laughter.) I want to help do that. (Applause.) And it’s been my honor to be the Deputy Secretary.
Those shared values are what I will work to make real every day.
To Secretary Marty Walsh, with whom I have worked side by side: You embraced a true, real partnership between us from day one.
You have changed the world for millions of workers, and you will be sorely missed not just by those of us who got to work with you every day but by those workers who have benefited from your leadership. And I’m grateful for all that I’ve learned from you. And I am proud to be chosen to, in the words of the President, “finish the job.” (Applause.)
I have also been able to work in close partnership with the people who are the Department of Labor. To my team, who’s here and across the country, especially the career staff who have devoted your lives to the mission of the DOL: You are the heart and soul of the department, and I’m thrilled to continue our good work together.
And I stand here today deeply grateful for community. And as I look out, I see that today is a celebration of that community.
When the President talks about those who’ve been forgotten or invisible, I know what he means because I have spent my career fighting for them to be seen.
So to all workers who are toiling in the shadows, to workers who are organizing for power and respect in the workplace, know that we see you, we stand with you, and we will fight for you. (Applause.)
And to my daughters, my bǎobèis, who are here: Thank you for the love, for missing class to be here today — (laughter) — for the sacrifices that you have made so Mama can do this work. I would not be who I am without you. (Applause.)
We have an extraordinary opportunity to build an economy where no one feels invisible, where every individual and community not only gets to benefit from the President’s transformative vision for America but also gets to help make it real. So let’s build together.
Thank you so much. (Applause.)