WASHINGTON, June 25 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement after voting today against  confirmation of Penny Pritzker to be  the Department of Commerce secretary:

“We need a secretary of commerce who will represent the interests of working Americans and their families, not simply the interests of CEOs and large corporations. Ms. Pritzker served on the board of one of the most anti-worker hotel chains in this country.  Workers at Hyatt have been unjustly fired for trying to form a union to collectively bargain for better wages and benefits. Unfortunately, Ms. Pritzker chose not to defend those employees.”