A son of Dominican immigrants, Tom Perez was confirmed by the US Senate as the new Secretary of Labor yesterday, Thursday 18 July. President Barack Obama proposed Perez, an assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, as Labor secretary in March. Perez, 51, was born in Buffalo, New York and has a law degree from Harvard University.
In a statement after the Senate confirmation, President Obama said:
“I welcome today’s confirmation of Tom Perez to serve as Secretary of Labor,” Obama said. “Tom has lived the American dream himself, and has dedicated his career to keeping it within reach for hardworking families across the country. At the Department of Labor, Tom will help us continue to grow our economy, help businesses create jobs, make sure workers have the skills those jobs require, and ensure safe workplaces and economic opportunity for all.?”
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/07/18/19545059-the-historical-oddity-of-thomas-perezs-confirmation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Perez
www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/18/thomas-perez-confirmed_n_3613196.html