Puzder Withdraws Nomination As Labor Secretary
Puzder was reportedly “tired of the abuse” and intense scrutiny surrounding his past actions as CEO of CKE Restaurants
This Wednesday, Trump’s pick for Secretary of Labor, Andrew Puzder, withdrew his nomination. The move came after speculation that Puzder would not pass his confirmation process, with a number of Republican senators either uncommitted to his confirmation, or outright opposed to it. It quickly became clear that Puzder would not gain the required number of votes to take office.
Republicans and Democrats have both expressed concern about Puzder’s ability to lead the Department of Labor. The former CEO of CKE Restaurants, which includes Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., was a divisive pick. Puzder strongly opposed increasing federal minimum wage, wanted to repeal the American Care Act, and supported workplace automation. Strange indeed for an administration that repeatedly promised to bring jobs to impoverished communities.
He also appeared generally unconcerned about equality in the workplace. You may know of Carl’s Jr. for its provocative commercials featuring scantily-clad models like Kate Upton and Paris Hilton eating burgers with near-graphic enjoyment. Those ads, which provoked criticism, didn’t seem to bother Puzder much. “We believe in putting hot models in our commercials, because ugly ones don’t sell burgers,” he said in a 2011 statement. In a later interview, he said,I like our ads. I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis. I think it’s very American.”
Puzder and his wife had also employed an undocumented immigrant as their housekeeper. They failed to pay taxes for her work. His first wife appeared anonymously on a 1990 episode of Oprah, where she said that he had abused her and “vowed revenge” after she made the abuse public. She later recanted her claim.
Bipartisan disdain for Puzder
All of this made Congresspeople on both sides of the aisle unsure about his future as Labor Secretary. Senator Bernie Sanders said that “The simple truth is that given his relationship to employees at the companies he runs, he was not fit to lead a department responsible for defending workers’ rights”.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, also said, “Puzder’s disdain for the American worker, the very people he would be responsible for protecting, is second to none.”
“Puzder’s disdain for the American worker, the very people he would be responsible for protecting, is second to none.”
Puzder joins a small group of failed cabinet nominees in American history. He is currently the fourteenth person to have withdrawn their cabinet nomination. Four of this group – Kimba Wood, Linda Chavez, Bernard Kerik, and Zoё Baird – withdrew after it was revealed that they had paid undocumented immigrants.
It is currently unclear who Trump will pick to replace his former nominee. This is yet another upset in the tumultuous twenty-six days since Trump’s inauguration. His current Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, narrowly made the cut after Vice President Mike Pence cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate. His former National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, recently resigned. He allegedly relayed information to the Russian Ambassador about Obama-era sanctions against Russia.
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Even Trump’s executive orders have run into trouble. His much-touted immigration ban encountered staunch resistance both from protesting citizens as well as American courts. Whoever will replace Puzder had better gear up for a fight. They will likely face similar scrutiny and opposition.