Thomas Perez

American Politician

American Buffalo, New York, U.S.

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Quick Info

ProfessionAmerican Politician
NationalityAmerican
Date of Birth07/10/1961
Age64 years
BirthplaceBuffalo, New York, U.S.

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Bio/Wiki

Real NameThomas Edward 'Tom' Perez
NicknameTom
Zodiac sign/Sun signLibra
SchoolCanisius High School, Buffalo, New York, USA
CollegeBrown University, Rhode Island, USA, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Physical Stats & More

Height5' 11"
Weight78 kg
Eye ColorBrown
Hair ColorGrey

Educational Qualification(s)

Bachelor of ArtsInternational Relations and Political Science, Brown University, 1983
Juris Doctorcum laude, Harvard Law School

Personal Life

ReligionRoman Catholicism
EthnicityDominican
Address200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington DC 20210
HobbiesReading, Traveling, Cooking

Relationships & More

Marital StatusMarried
WifeAnn Marie Staudenmaier
Children
  • Rafael Perez
  • Susana Perez
  • Amalia Perez

Family

FatherRafael Perez
MotherGrace Perez

Career

Political Journey
  • Worked as a Principal Secretary to Democratic Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy from 1995 to 1998
  • Council of Montgomery County, Maryland from 2002 to 2006
  • Council President from 2004 to 2005
  • Maryland Secretary of Labor in 2007
  • Nominated by President Barack Obama to be Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice in 2009
  • Nominated to be Secretary of Labor by President Barack Obama on 18 March 2013
  • Federal prosecutor and civil rights lawyer at the U.S. Department of Justice from 1989
  • Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice from 1988 to 1995, chairing the interagency Worker Exploitation Task Force
  • Special Counsel to U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy from 1995 to 1998, serving as principal adviser on civil rights, criminal justice and constitutional issues
  • Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the final two years of the Clinton administration
  • Law professor for six years at University of Maryland School of Law and part-time professor at George Washington School of Public Health
  • Montgomery County Council member from 2002 to 2006
  • Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, sworn in on 08 October 2009
  • United States Secretary of Labor from 23 July 2013 to 20 January 2017
  • Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2017 to 2021
Major Achievements
  • Principal architect of Maryland's sweeping package of state lending and foreclosure reforms during the foreclosure crisis
  • Led efforts to target Maryland companies engaging in workplace fraud and misclassification of employees as independent contractors
  • Helped implement the Workplace Fraud Act of 2009
  • Issued the Home Care Rule requiring minimum-wage and overtime compensation for home care workers, effective 01 January 2015
  • Issued the Persuader Rule requiring employers' attorneys to publicly disclose advice given to persuade against unionization
  • Oversaw the longest streak of private sector job growth on record during his tenure as Secretary of Labor
  • Settled two major labor disputes involving 20,000 West Coast port workers and 40,000 workers for a major mobile network provider
  • Landed three of the largest settlements in the history of the Fair Housing Act from mortgage lenders
  • Investigated the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida
  • Launched a record number of probes into unconstitutional police practices
  • Advocated for Muslims in the workplace and championed the Americans with Disabilities Act
  • Established new worker safety rules including an updated standard for silica dust
  • Established rules to raise wages, provide paid sick leave, and ensure employment protections for federal contractor employees
  • Settled two major labor disputes involving 15,000 West Coast port workers and 40,000 Verizon workers
  • Established a Veterans employment website to assist veterans with locating and utilizing employment resources

Favourites

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Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Both of his parents were first-generation immigrants.
2. His father served in the U.S. Army after World War II.
3. His mother immigrated to the United States in 1930.
4. He is the youngest among five siblings.
5. He worked as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.
6. He also served as the Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
7. He was viewed as a strong contender to be Hillary Clinton's running mate in the 2016 Presidential Election.
8. He made regular 'house calls' or onsite trips as Secretary of Labor to obtain personal feedback and listen to workers' experiences.
9. His confirmation as Secretary of Labor in 2013 was the first Senate confirmation vote in history in which a cabinet member's confirmation received a party-line vote.
10. He grew up in Buffalo where he learned the values of a union town: hard work, integrity, service, and perseverance.
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