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Compliance September 29, 2022
Senate Confirms Lisa Gomez as EBSA Head
The full Senate voted, 49-36, to confirm the new assistant secretary of labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
Reported by Paul Mulholland
Today, the Senate confirmed Lisa Gomez as the assistant secretary of labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration in a 49-36 vote.
President Joe Biden nominated Gomez in July 2021. A June 8 vote on her nomination failed because Vice President Kamala Harris was not present in the chamber to break the 50-50 tie.
Ali Khawar has been acting assistant secretary since March 2021.
Senator Patty Murray, D-Washington, chairwoman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, praised the confirmation vote in a press release this afternoon. “I’m glad we were able to confirm this highly qualified nominee to this important position overseeing employer-sponsored health and retirement benefits—a financial cornerstone for so many families in Washington state and across the country,” said Murray, who publicly lobbied for Gomez’s nomination earlier this month.
EBSA is responsible for enforcing the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, which covers approximately 142 million employees as well as 730,000 employer-sponsored plans.