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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Julian Teixeira
(202) 776-1812
jteixeira@nclr.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.—NCLR (National Council of La Raza) announced today its support for Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, who is being considered by President Obama for Secretary of Labor, a vacancy left by former Secretary Hilda Solis. NCLR is encouraged by this potential appointment and urges the president to strongly consider Mr. Perez and other highly qualified Hispanics for cabinet positions. If nominated, Perez would be the only Latino in the president’s second-term cabinet and the first Dominican American ever to serve in a presidential cabinet.
“Thomas Perez is an eminently qualified public servant who has the professional experience and compelling personal story to serve at the highest levels of the administration,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “Mr. Perez’s impeccable legal background in civil rights issues, particularly workers’ rights, as well as his decades of service as an elected and appointed official make him uniquely prepared to address the policy complexities and management responsibilities at the Department of Labor.”
Since his appointment in 2009, Perez has steered the Civil Rights Division to prioritize the full enforcement of critical civil rights statutes such as the National Voting Rights Act, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act—all programs that have aided the Latino community tremendously. He also helped build agreement among stakeholders to settle three of the largest lending cases in the Fair Housing Act’s history, securing more money for victims of discriminatory lending practices than had been secured by the federal government in the previous 23 years combined. During his tenure, the Civil Rights Division also championed the defense of military families and victims of hate crimes.
“We are pleased to see the president once again strongly considering the nomination of a Latino candidate for this crucial position in his administration. We fully believe that Mr. Perez has the outstanding leadership and acumen to serve as Secretary of Labor,” Murguía added. “We hope that President Obama will continue to add diversity to his cabinet and consider qualified Latinos for additional cabinet positions as well as other senior-level presidential appointments.”
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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