California lawmakers officially oppose Julie Soo’s nomination for US Secretary of Labor

Rep. Kevin Keely (R-Rocklin) and Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) brought the group back together Wednesday when they held a press conference with fellow elected lawmakers, freelancers and victims of mismanagement at the California Employment Administration. ministry, call on the US Senate to reject Julie Su’s confirmation as US Secretary of Labor.

Rep. Kevin Kiley, Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher. (Photo: Katie Grimes for the California Globe)

Rep. Keely said in his opening that while California Gov. Gavin Newsom claims the state leads the nation in just about everything, endorsing Julie Su’s nomination as U.S. Secretary of Labor will only make California’s problems the nation’s.

“As chairman of the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protection, I strongly urge President Biden to immediately withdraw Julie Su’s candidacy,” Rep. Kylie said. “To say that Su failed in her previous job as secretary of labor at the California Department of Labor is an understatement. The amount of suffering that Su’s Department of Labor has caused to my constituents and millions of Californians should completely eliminate Su from consideration.”

Keely said the best indicator of how Julie Su will lead the US Department of Labor is how badly she has managed the California Department of Labor and the EDD.

This sentiment was echoed by Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher, who said his recommendation was: “Stop rewarding failure.”

The California Globe reported for several years about a horrendous scam at California’s unemployment agency, dubbed the “Employment Development Department” by Orwell, prior to government Covid restrictions and also during the pandemic when Californians needed unemployment insurance the most.

In July 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the formation of a “strike group” to address multiple issues facing the Employment Development Department, including addressing the backlog of millions of unfulfilled unemployment claims and fraudulent unemployment claims since the first time a lockdown decision was made due to the coronavirus pandemic. Governor Newsom in March (2020).

We now have over $31 billion in unemployment claims sent to inmates in California county jails, state and federal prisons, out of state and even out of the country, while legitimate claimants were denied, they were detained for several months or received late payments. .

EDD was overseen by then-Secretary of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency Julie Su, who confirmed that scammers stole at least $11.4 billion worth of unemployment benefits from California in 2020 (at that time), Globe reports. And 800,000 claims for unemployment benefits were paid late, as well as 12.7 million delayed eligibility decisions.

The 2021 State Auditor’s Audit at EDD explained a lot:

“Economic shutdowns in early 2020 led to historically high jobless claims in a very short time (spike in claims), and further shutdowns began in December 2020, raising the possibility of additional spikes in unemployment. This audit looked at EDD’s response to the spike in claims, its handling of backlogs of unpaid claims, and the assistance the company provided to individuals through its call center.”

The auditor said EDD had been aware of internal problems for more than a decade, but failed to prepare for the inevitable economic downturns in the state, in the administration of Gov. Jerry Brown and in the administration of Gov. Gavin Newsom. “EDD did not have a comprehensive plan of action if a recession hits California and insurance claims increase accordingly,” the report says.

Aaron Gayden, freelancer affected by AB 5. (Photo: Katie Grimes for the California Globe)

But according to the audit, the $31 billion in fraudulent claims resulted when Secretary of State Julie Su decided to suspend most EDD eligibility requirements. Only federal oversight caught this and notified the EDD that they could not suspend eligibility.

In addition, Su was a strong supporter of AB 5, which destroyed the livelihoods of tens of thousands of workers and effectively banned freelance work in California, and, according to Keely, ruthlessly supported him. He said that during Covid, when so many businesses were closed, she imposed a ban on freelance work and independent contract work. Kylie warned that Su plans to implement the policy and its disastrous effects across the country through the PRO-Act.

California Business and Industrial Alliance President Tom Manzo said that since Su supported Assembly Bill 5, jobs have left the state. “Now people don’t want to hire independent contractors from California,” Manzo said.

Aaron Gaiden, the band’s leader and freelance musician influenced by AB 5, warned that Julie Su would take AB 5 nationally, killing millions of independent contractors and concertmasters.

Assembly members Bill Essily (AD-63), Joe Patterson (AD-05), Josh Hoover (AD-07), Jim Patterson (AD-23) and Tree Ta (AD-70), Lincoln Chamber of Commerce President Tom Indrieri, and also Aaron Gayden and Tom Manzo were at the press conference.

Content Source

California Press News – Latest News:
Los Angeles Local News || Bay Area Local News || California News || Lifestyle News || National news || Travel News || Health News

Related Articles

Back to top button