“Today’s employment report again shows that our economy cannot afford more self-inflicted setbacks like the sequester. We need to focus on growth, not austerity. To spur greater job growth, Republicans should work with Democrats to make job-creating investments and replace the sequester with a balanced approach to deficit reduction that combines smart cuts with revenue measures such as closing tax loopholes for the very wealthy.

“We all know this recovery has a long road ahead, and nobody knows it better than the workers who have lost their jobs in Nevada and across the nation. But only Congress can undo the serious effects of Republicans’ harsh austerity. I hope my Republican colleagues will put partisanship aside and work with us for the good of the middle class.”

“I applaud President Obama for nominating Thomas Perez to head the Labor Department. Perez has already showed his commitment to defending the American dream and upholding every American’s civil liberties, and his professional background makes him qualified for a job vital to our economy and the growth of the middle class. He is pragmatic and a believer in consensus who works equally well with CEOs and labor leaders. But it is also his life story, growing up the son of immigrants in upstate New York, that has given him an understanding of the realities facing American families and how decisions made in Washington impact them.

“Mr. Perez is highly qualified and deserves a speedy confirmation. Few public servants have fought as hard to protect the rights and freedoms enshrined by the Constitution as Mr. Perez. I hope Senate Republicans will put partisanship aside and look at his record and values in an objective manner.”