Andrew Puzder withdraws as Labor Secretary nominee
LGBTQ groups cheer as Republican support for nominee collapses amid flurry of scandals and other concerns
On Wednesday, Andrew Puzder, President’s Trump preferred choice to head the U.S. Department of Labor, withdrew his name from consideration as Labor Secretary amid rumors that Republican support for the nominee had collapsed completely, and the White House did not want to risk losing an on-the-record vote for a cabinet nominee.
According to CNN, a GOP source said that Senate Republicans had informed the Trump administration that there were at least four firm Republican “no” votes, and possibly up to 12, with no Democrats or independents willing to lend the flailing nominee a lifeline.
Initially, Puzder’s nomination had looked like it might be saved by a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence, in the same way that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ nomination was. Puzder had already received unfavorable reviews from Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), and looked headed for a 50-50 split vote.
But unlike DeVos, Puzder, the CEO of Carl Karcher Enterprises, the company that owns the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. fast food chains, had a slew of scandals that placed him under a microscope. Puzder was currently being sued for allegedly running an illegal wage-fixing scheme to prevent managers from moving between restaurants, in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. He had previously been accused of other wage and labor violations, and had drawn the ire of Democrats for being an outspoken opponent of the minimum wage, overtime laws, and workplace safety rules, according to The Intercept.
But even those concerns, as well as allegations made by his ex-wife accusing him of domestic abuse, would likely not have been enough to sink his nomination. Rather, the crucial death-blow dealt to Puzder’s confirmation hopes was his admitting to employing an undocumented immigrant as a housekeeper, enraging the more conservative members of the GOP caucus.
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