Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from Allie Bice. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren Labor nominee JULIE SU’s backers are hoping that one of JOE BIDEN’s favorite Republican senators, LISA MURKOWSKI, will help rescue her embattled nomination. But, so far, the Alaskan appears uneager to enter the fray. The White House and Senate Democrats are struggling to nail down 50 votes for Su, the first Cabinet replacement fight they’ve faced in Biden’s presidency. The nomination has been pending longer than any Cabinet nominee did during the first months of the president’s term. The problem: there are not yet 50 out of the 51 Democratic Senators ready to vote for Su. And, for now, Murkowski is passing responsibility to them. “I don’t know that all the Democrats are supporting her,” Murkowski said Thursday when asked if she’s decided how she would vote on the floor. “I’m wondering what the Democrats are going to do.” The Senator said it’s been a while since she talked with the White House on the nomination. Murkowski voted against Su’s nomination when it came before the Senate HELP committee in April. That would have seemed to end any speculation that she would be a yes on the floor. But she’s flipped on Su before (backing her nomination for deputy secretary when it came before the committee in 2021 only to oppose her on the floor), giving hope to Senate Democrats, White House officials and outside labor supporters. Murkowski and Biden have had a long-term, mutually-beneficial partnership. The Alaska Republican went out on something of a limb to support Interior Secretary DEB HAALAND, and Biden initiatives such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In March, the White House granted approval to the Willow pipeline — a pet project of Murkowski’s — over the environmental community’s opposition. With Murkowski expressing reluctance to flip on Su again, however, Democrats are now frantically looking for the votes within their own ranks. Sen. JOE MANCHIN of West Virginia is publicly undeclared but Democrats are proceeding as though he’s a no, according to several people familiar with the nomination. A handful of other senators who caucus with Democrats — JON TESTER of Montana and ANGUS KING of Maine — are officially undecided but viewed as possible yes votes. That leaves Sen. KYRSTEN SINEMA, the Democrat-turned independent of Arizona, who steadfastly doesn’t reveal her position ahead of votes. If Su’s confirmation continues to stall, she would still be able to serve in the role as an acting secretary through the entirety of Biden’s term. But it would come at some cost: no White House wants the specter of being unable to move their own nominees for key roles through a Senate under their party’s control. White House officials and outside groups — including labor unions — have maintained a steady drumbeat of support for Su’s nomination, according to a White House official granted anonymity to detail private conversations. They regularly participate in a “war room” call to sew up her confirmation. At the White House, chief of staff JEFF ZIENTS and director of legislative affairs LOUISA TERRELL are in regular touch with majority leader CHUCK SCHUMER and other senators, according to the official. The official declined to reveal the senators they’re targeting. The war room calls continued during debt ceiling negotiations but a “full court press” launched in recent days, the official said. Still, the lengthy debt ceiling debate may have derailed momentum for the nomination, said Rep. JUDY CHU (D-Calif.), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Chu is one of several members of Congress that Terrell is working with to coordinate support for Su. “I do think that is what interfered with the progress we were making,” Chu said. “Julie had done her due diligence, meeting with all of them,” she said of Democrats sitting on the fence, and “also meeting with Lisa Murkowski and addressing the questions that they had.” As Su’s nomination drags out, Schumer has declined to commit to getting her confirmed — or scheduling a vote. Her supporters, in turn, have grown increasingly frustrated with the uncertainty. “I haven't been told factually why people would be against her. We're not even talking about the Republicans,” said Sen. MAZIE HIRONO (D-Hawaii). “I'm just at a loss.” MESSAGE US — Are you ROBERTO BERRIOS, special assistant to the president and director of confirmations? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!
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