Thomas Perez on Civil Rights

Civil rights is part of his DNA (and job history)

Respect John Lewis' stature as icon of civil rights movement

PENCE: When someone of John Lewis' stature, someone who is not only an icon in the civil rights movement, but also someone who by virtue of his sacrifice on that day that we know as Bloody Sunday, he crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge and he suffered that abuse [for the sake of] voting rights--for someone to use his stature to use terms like this is not a legitimate president, it's just deeply disappointing to me, and I hope he reconsiders it. But what Donald Trump was talking about their was literally generations of failed policies coming out of Washington, D.C., that have failed too many families and too many cities across this country. I will tell you, Donald Trump is a man who is profoundly impatient with failure.

Make good on opportunity for people with disabilities

Under Secretary Perez's leadership, priorities for the department include being smarter and more strategic in the department's enforcement of federal law. Secretary Perez has made job training and workforce development a focal point of his tenure. With historic investments in community colleges and apprenticeships and the department's implementation of the bipartisan Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, he is committed to connecting ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs.

Additionally, Perez has kept up the drumbeat on state and local progress to expand access to paid leave. He also helps ensure that people with disabilities and veterans have access to employment opportunities and other supports to help them succeed.

Expand opportunity for marginalized communities

Women still earn 77 cents on the dollar compared to men