Senate reverses, approves key Biden labor nominee

The Senate on Thursday confirmed a senior Biden nominee to serve in the Department of Labor, marking a reversal from its prior rejection last year.

President Joe Biden had tapped José Javier Rodríguez in 2021 to serve as assistant secretary of labor, though the lower chamber voted down his confirmation in a 44-51 vote last November, Politico reported.

The Thursday vote was 50-48 in Rodríguez's favor. Two Republicans did not vote while New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who previously opposed Rodríguez's confirmation, opted to support him on the second vote.

Rodríguez previously served in the Florida legislature for eight years and is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

Some of Biden's labor nominees have struggled to clear the upper chamber. Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, whom Biden has tapped to replace Marty Walsh as the permanent officeholder, has cleared the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, but has yet to secure Senate confirmation.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.