Senate Labor Committee Approves Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Nominations

Statement

U.S. Senate labor committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after the committee advanced two Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) nominations.

On the nomination of Sharon Gustafson to be General Counsel of the EEOC: "Ms. Gustafson is an attorney with 28 years of experience in handling a wide variety of employment-related disputes before the EEOC and the federal courts. In 2016, the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association awarded Ms. Gustafson its Lawyer of the Year award "in recognition of outstanding dedication to Civil Rights, Equality, and Justice.'"

On the nomination of Charlotte Burrows to be a member of the EEOC: "Ms. Burrows is currently a member of the EEOC. Appointed by President Obama, she has held that position since her previous confirmation in December 2014. Before joining the Commission, Ms. Burrows served in the United States Department of Justice in a variety of positions, including as Associate Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Chief for the Civil Rights Division."

The EEOC is a bipartisan Commission composed of five presidentially appointed members, including the Chair, Vice Chair, and three Commissioners. In addition to the Commissioners, the president appoints a General Counsel to support the Commission and oversee the EEOC's litigation program. Established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.

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