GOP Senator hits back at AOC, says Dems backing controversial Biden nominee interested in 'abusing power'

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GOP senator grills Biden's labor nominee Julie Su about her business experience

Sen. Markwayne Mullin grilled labor secretary nominee Julie Su after the Senate nomination hearing.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., hit back at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., after she criticized his questioning of President Joe Biden's Department of Labor (DOL) nominee, who he claims is "more concerned with abusing power to carry out political agendas than preserving responsible leadership."

Biden nominated Julie Su to lead the DOL in March, but faced immediate pushback from not only the GOP, but from small business owners nationwide who claimed she is "anti-worker."

Mullin recently pressed Su on a series of questions regarding her business experience during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing, comments that quickly caught flack from Ocasio-Cortez. "Someone should inform the Senator that the position is not Secretary of Bosses. It’s Secretary of LABOR," the progressive wrote in a Twitter post.

Mullin snapped back in a statement to Fox News Digital Tuesday. "The secretary of Labor’s role is to enforce laws without bias, not to be a crusader against job creators on behalf of politically connected labor unions like those supporting Julie Su and Democrat politicians," the senator said.

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Mullin added that "it’s clear Su and her supporters are more concerned with abusing power to carry out political agendas than preserving responsible leadership at the Department of Labor."

The senator claimed that the left are out-of-touch with the working class, and that Republicans "refuse to confirm an activist who puts an anti-business, anti-worker political agenda ahead of enforcing our labor laws as written."

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"Everyone in America knows that labor has two sides and jobs simply do not exist without entrepreneurs taking the risk to start a business. What’s ironic about Democrats’ perspective is that employers are employees themselves, and in a good company everyone rows in the same direction. While Leftists attack small business owners through a narrow lens, conservative Republicans are bringing together employer and employee perspectives to vet nominees and actually solve problems," Mullin said. 

Sen.-elect Markwayne Mullin in the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 15, 2022. (Tom Williams)

After the "Stand Against Su" campaign claimed the nominee tightened employment regulations in California during her time as head of the Golden State's main labor agency, Mullin made his case for why he opposes her nomination.

"Those of us with business experience understand the needs of the American worker firsthand, which is why we refuse to confirm an activist who puts an anti-business, anti-worker political agenda ahead of enforcing our labor laws as written."

President Joe Biden links arms with Julie Su, his nominee to be the next secretary of Labor, at the White House on March 1, 2023. (Win McNamee)

Su, who has also reportedly pushed critical race theory (CRT) teachings for years, was nominated to replace former Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh.

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The Senate labor panel is expected to hold a vote on Su's nomination Wednesday to make an official decision on her possible appointment.

Fox News' Thomas Catennacci contributed to this report.