Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants Inc., was nominated to be secretary of the Department of Labor under President-elect Donald J. Trump, the transition team said late Thursday.
He would replace Thomas Perez, who spearheaded the DOL’s fiduciary rule, once Mr. Trump takes office.
Mr. Trump said in a statement that Mr. Puzder’s “extensive record fighting for workers makes him the ideal candidate to lead the Department of Labor. Andy will fight to make American workers safer and more prosperous by enforcing fair occupational safety standards and ensuring workers receive the benefits they deserve, and he will save small businesses from the crushing burdens of unnecessary regulations that are stunting job growth and suppressing wages.”
From 1978 through 1991, Mr. Puzder was a trial lawyer in St. Louis, Mo., before entering private practice in California. In 1995, Mr. Puzder served as the executive vice president and general counsel for Fidelity National Financial, managing one of the largest corporate legal departments in the country.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions said in a statement that with Mr. Puzder’s nomination, “President-elect Trump has sent another clear signal that he has no intention of fulfilling his campaign promise to put workers and retirees first — instead, he’s bent on building an Administration made up of billionaires and the staunchest allies for big business, special interests, and Wall Street that he can find.”
