On Wednesday, July 10, the Biden-Harris campaign will officially launch the Asian-Americans for Biden-Harris initiative in Pennsylvania with a special breakfast event featuring Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su. The event, set to begin at 8:30 a.m., will take place at The Breakfast Den, located at 1500 South Street, Philadelphia.
The event aims to mobilize a coalition of Asian-American Pennsylvanians who will support President Biden in the upcoming November election. This initiative is part of a broader effort to engage and mobilize Asian-American communities across the country, emphasizing their critical role in the electoral process.
Secretary Julie Su will deliver remarks highlighting the Biden-Harris administration’s accomplishments and ongoing efforts to support Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Her speech will focus on the administration’s work to lower costs, expand opportunities, protect democracy, and combat hate. After her remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session and an opportunity for attendees to mingle.
President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to lowering costs and expanding opportunities for AAPI communities. Key initiatives include:
- Healthcare: Capping the cost of insulin at $35, lowering prescription drug prices for over 2 million AANHPI seniors, and reducing health insurance premiums.
- Economic Measures: Cracking down on corporate price gouging and hidden junk fees, working to reinstate up to $300 monthly checks that cut Asian American child poverty to a record low in 2021, and lowering costs for child care, elder care, and housing.
- Employment: Creating 1.3 million good-paying jobs for AANHPIs, achieving the highest AANHPI employment rate since 2008, and supporting an Asian American-owned small business boom.
The administration’s efforts also include significant measures to protect democracy and fundamental freedoms:
- Combating Hate and Violence: Following the mass killing of Asian women in Atlanta, President Biden secured the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to make reporting and investigating hate crimes easier, and is fighting to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
- Immigration and Border Security: The administration is working to secure the border while preserving family reunification and employer-based legal immigration, consistent with American values.
- Reproductive Rights: President Biden and Vice President Harris are fighting to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade and veto any national abortion ban, ensuring women’s freedom to make their own healthcare decisions.
President Biden is also committed to defending democracies and rebuilding alliances globally, including with partners in the Indo-Pacific region such as the Philippines, India, and South Korea. This contrasts sharply with the previous administration’s approach, which often abandoned allies and praised dictators.
The event will primarily be attended by Philadelphia residents of Asian descent, reflecting the campaign’s focus on grassroots engagement and community-building. This diverse audience is expected to bring together individuals committed to supporting and promoting the Biden-Harris agenda within their communities.
As the Biden-Harris campaign continues to build momentum, the launch of Asian-Americans for Biden-Harris in Pennsylvania stands as a testament to the importance of inclusive and representative political engagement. With leaders like Secretary Julie Su at the forefront, the campaign is poised to make a significant impact on the upcoming election.
Julie Su became Acting Secretary of Labor on March 11, 2023. She was confirmed as deputy secretary on July 13, 2021, serving as the department’s de-facto chief operating officer, overseeing the workforce, budget, and executing the secretary’s priorities.
Before joining the U.S. Department of Labor, Su was the secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, which enforces workplace laws, combats wage theft, ensures job safety, and administers unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, and paid family leave.
A nationally recognized expert on workers’ and civil rights, Su has dedicated her legal career to advancing justice for poor and disenfranchised communities, earning a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant. As California labor commissioner from 2011 to 2018, she led a renaissance in enforcement activity and record-setting results, launching the “Wage Theft Is a Crime” campaign in 2014 to educate low-wage workers and their employers.
Prior to her role as labor commissioner, Su was the litigation director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles, the nation’s largest non-profit civil rights organization for Asian Americans. She pioneered a multi-strategy approach combining litigation, community education, policy reform, coalition building, and media work.
Named among the “Top 75 Women Litigators” and “Top 75 Labor and Employment Lawyers” by the Daily Journal, and one of the “50 most noteworthy women alumni” of Harvard Law School, Su has also taught at UCLA and Northeastern Law Schools. A graduate of Stanford and Harvard Law School, she began her career with a Skadden Fellowship. Su speaks Mandarin and Spanish.