Biden Cabinet nominee dodges on whether she still believe US was founded on ‘white privilege’

Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su dodged questions on whether she still stood by comments she made about America being a white supremacist society when pressed to do so by a Republican Congressman at a House committee hearing Wednesday.

Su attended a hearing of the House Education and Workforce Committee following a subpoena threat from Chairwoman Virginia Foxx of North Carolina. During the hearing, Republican Rep. Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin brought up comments that Su had written in 2005 suggesting that the United States was built on “racial subordination” and was white supremacist, which Grothman asked if she would recant.

“You wrote that we live in a society built on white privilege and systemic racial subordination. When I look at the statistics, people come here from all around the globe, people who are not of European descent – and, quite frankly, people whose ancestors lived in China, India, Cuba – all doing better than the native-born,” Grothman said in response to Su’s writings. “[D]o you still stand by this idea running down America that we’re built on white privilege,” Grothman asked.

WATCH: Julie Su refuses to answer @RepGrothman on whether she regrets saying that American society is built on white privilege. pic.twitter.com/znuB9cZ5wN

— HELP Committee GOP (@GOPHELP) June 7, 2023

Su responded by saying that “we are a nation where the American dream was available to my family…” before she was cut off by Grothman, who pressed her to respond. “Will you recant that statement?”

Su then said that she believes in “equal opportunity for all communities” before Grothman pressed her again about the subject. “People are here from all around the globe doing financially better than people of European heritage…India, China, Cuba, Philippines…could you comment on that and do you regret saying [what you said]?”

Su did not respond whether she regretted the statement, instead saying that “[T]his is a nation of opportunity. I am a product of that, I’m grateful for that.”

Grothman was likely referring to an article published by Su in 2005 for the Seattle Journal of Social Justice, entitled “The Progressive Critique of the Current Socia-legal Landscape: Corporations and Economic Justice.” In the paper, Su implied that American society was built on white privilege and criticized conservatives for arguing for limited government, saying instead that doing so implied support for corporate greed.

“Conservatives like to argue that government should get out of the way and that the market will decide. But just as the idea of “race-neutral” is not really neutral when you have a society built on white privilege and systemic racial subordination, government inaction really means government sanction and support for unfettered corporate greed.” – Julie Su

Su also wrote that “[t]he very definition of a corporation as an entity that is created to permit maximum income…seems to promote and perpetuate economic injustice.”

Su’s nomination to be Secretary of Labor has been held up in the Senate has been held up by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who has expressed concern about her record. No vote on her nomination, pending since March, has been scheduled.

Grothman and Su did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].

DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW

Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!