Bernie Sanders would agree to be Secretary of Labor if Biden proposes it

Sanders: Biden will end hate and division that Trump created 9:42

(CNN) -

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said Wednesday that he would accept the job of Secretary of Labor if President-elect Joe Biden asked him to join his cabinet.

"If I had a portfolio that allowed me to advocate and fight for working families, would I?" Sanders told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

"Yes, I would".

When asked if it is true that he is seeking the job of secretary of labor, Sanders said: "The truth is that I want to do everything I can to protect the working families of this country who are under tremendous pressure right now."

"Whether it's in the Senate, whether it's the Biden administration, who knows," Sanders added.

"Well, let's see how that plays out."

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CNN reported Tuesday that Sanders has begun accelerating a campaign to become Biden's cabinet secretary of labor and is seeking the support of top union leaders.

Sanders' push comes amid an intensification of maneuvering over the powerful cabinet position from within the labor movement.

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A former union leader told CNN on Tuesday that Sanders has personally called union bosses to ask for their endorsement, but that his proposals have met with mixed reactions.

The president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Richard Trumka, who is among those Sanders has contacted, is in favor of the Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh, for the post, said the union leader.

Meanwhile, Michigan Rep. Andy Levin, a Democrat who is a popular progressive, has also built a base of support among union leaders, including the United States Communications Workers, the union leader said.

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In public remarks and in an interview with CNN ahead of the election, Sanders spoke about his desire to lead a push from within the Senate to send an ambitious set of progressive legislation to Biden's desk.

But those plans may have been complicated by the uncertainty surrounding control of the agency, after a disappointing election night for Democratic Senate hopefuls.

The Democratic political group will now likely have to win the two January runoff elections in Georgia to get a majority.

Biden's cabinet decisions come as President Donald Trump has yet to acknowledge defeat even though CNN and other outlets have projected Biden's victory.

So far, the administration has also refused to approve a key document necessary to formally begin Biden's transition process, while Trump continues to baseless allegations of election fraud.

- CNN's Gregory Krieg contributed to this report.

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