U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper voted Thursday to advance two of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet picks.
Both Miguel Cardona, Biden’s pick for secretary of education, and Martin Walsh, Biden’s pick for labor secretary, received bipartisan votes from the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to advance in the presidential Cabinet nomination process. Cardona’s nomination was agreed to by a 17-5 vote in the committee, and Walsh’s nomination was agreed to by a 18-4 vote.
Now, both nominees will face one more vote on the Senate floor before being appointed.
Walsh has been the mayor of Boston since 2014. He previously represented Massachusetts’ 13th Congressional District in the U.S. House.
Cardona serves as commissioner of education in Connecticut. He has voiced support for sending children back to school during the pandemic.
Cardona and Walsh were both questioned by senators on the HELP committee in confirmation hearings last week. Hickenlooper participated in only Walsh’s confirmation hearing after receiving his four committee assignments Tuesday.
Hickenlooper also joined the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Commerce Committee and the Small Business Committee last week.
Last week during Walsh’s confirmation hearing, and Hickenlooper’s first committee meeting as a senator, Hickenlooper asked Walsh about the Defense Production Act, small businesses, labor shortages and work opportunities for senior citizens.
“I have, I think, a sense of the needs of small business and how so many of these professions depend upon education, but they also, especially small businesses, need to get support,” Hickenlooper said during the meeting.
In response to Hickenlooper’s questions, Walsh shared examples from his mayoral work. He said that during the pandemic, he sought to provide extra support to small businesses in Boston through government grant programs that provided necessary protective equipment and money to help businesses afford rent.
“I certainly look forward to working with economic development, with you (and) with other folks on how do we create opportunities so we can keep our small businesses alive,” Walsh said. “Those small businesses employ lots and lots, millions and millions of Americans, and if we don’t do something to continue to support our small businesses ... we’re gonna have bigger challenges in America to rebound our economy.”
Walsh said he also looked forward to potentially creating programs on a federal level, like those he oversaw in Boston, that help senior citizens earn money or tax credit so they can afford everyday expenses.
“One of the problems I see every day is that seniors have to make decisions whether to eat or pay for prescription drugs,” Walsh said. “That’s a real thing.”
Hickenlooper and Walsh agreed on each issue the senator brought up. Hickenlooper said he was “eager” to see Walsh confirmed and that he looked forward to working with him.
“This morning I took my first committee votes (both Ayes!) to advance the nominations of Miguel Cardona and Marty Walsh to lead @usedgov and @USDOL,” Hickenlooper said in a Tweet on Thursday. “I look forward to working with them once they’re confirmed by the full Senate.”
The Senate is expected to vote on Cardona and Walsh’s appointments in coming weeks, after the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.
Grace George is an intern for The Durango Herald and The Journal in Cortez and a student at American University in Washington, D.C.
