On Sept. 24, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions voted 12-11 to advance the nomination of Eugene Scalia to serve as the secretary of labor. The nomination will move to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote.

Scalia is currently a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Washington, D.C., where he co-chairs the firm’s Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Group and previously co-chaired the Labor and Employment Practice Group for 12 years. Additionally, Scalia served as solicitor of DOL under President George W. Bush’s administration from 2002-2003, special assistant to Attorney General William P. Barr during the George H.W. Bush Administration from 1992-1993, and as a speechwriter for Secretary of Education Bill Bennett from 1985-1987 during the Reagan administration.

President Trump nominated Scalia, who would replace former Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta, to head the Department of Labor on Sept. 11. On Sept. 19, the Senate HELP Committee held a confirmation hearing on Scalia’s nomination.

ABC sent a letter of support before the Sept. 19 hearing to HELP Committee Chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) urging the Senate HELP Committee for a fair, thorough hearing and for the swift approval of his nomination.