Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez to Speak at June 22 NPC Luncheon

News provided by

Jun 15, 2016, 12:09 ET

WASHINGTON, June 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez will return to the National Press Club for a June 22 luncheon where he will discuss the Department of Labor's work on behalf of working families.

Sworn in as U.S. Labor Secretary on July 2013, Perez says he has focused the department's work on expanding shared prosperity for all Americans. Under his leadership, the department has championed some of the Obama administration's key domestic policy issues, including efforts to expand paid leave, raise the minimum wage, and historic investments in community colleges and apprenticeships. The department recently updated overtime rules to make over 4 million workers newly eligible for overtime pay. In addition, under Perez, the department also issued a fiduciary rule that will require financial advisers to put their customers' best interest first.

In his remarks Secretary Perez will discuss how the Administration has used every tool in its toolkit -- including its regulatory authority, strategic enforcement, convening power, and robust engagement with the private sector—to give all Americans the chance to get ahead and stay ahead. Perez last spoke at the NPC in October 2014.

In recent months, Perez has taken an active role in campaigning for Hillary Clinton's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, and the press has speculated that Perez may be high on her list of potential running mates.

A civil rights lawyer by training, Perez came to the Department of Labor after serving for four years as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. There, he fought to protect voting rights, cracked down on discriminatory lending and housing, and sought to make sure that the nation's police departments did not violate the civil rights of citizens.

The son of Dominican immigrants, Perez is a native of Buffalo, N.Y. and is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard Law School. He later served as counsel to the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and as director of the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the Clinton administration.

Perez also served on the Montgomery County Council and as Secretary of Labor under Gov. Martin O'Malley. He lives in Takoma Park, Md., with his wife and three children.

The Press Club luncheon will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. Remarks will begin at 1:00 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session, ending at 2 p.m. Tickets may be purchase by going to the following link. The cost of luncheon admission is $24 for National Press Club members (NPC Members may purchase 2 tickets at this rate) and $38 for non-members. For questions, please email [email protected] or call (202) 662-7501. Tickets must be paid for at the time of purchase.

National Press Club Luncheons are webcast live on press.org. Follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #NPCLunch, or on Facebook at (facebook.com/PressClubDC) and Twitter (@PressClubDC). Submit questions for speakers in advance and during the live event by sending them to @QNPCLunch on Twitter. Or email a question in advance, type PEREZ in the subject line and send to [email protected] before 10 a.m. on the day of event.

The Press Club is on the 13th floor, 529 14th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Credentialed press may cover this event with ID.

About the National Press Club

The National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists with more than 3,300 members worldwide representing every major news organization. More than 250,000 people visit the Club each year to attend more than 2,000 events. The Club was founded in 1908 and is on the web at press.org.

CONTACT
Lindsay Underwood
Member Engagement Manager
The National Press Club
(202) 662-7561
[email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080917/NPCLOGO

SOURCE National Press Club