President Donald Trump’s nominee for labor secretary, Andrew Puzder, withdrew his name from consideration one day ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing.
“I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America’s workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity,” Puzder said in a statement, citing the “policies and new thinking” he would have brought to the position.
Puzder is CEO of CKE Restaurants, which includes subsidiaries Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. He had been one of Trump’s more controversial Cabinet nominees. A report released in January revealed that 66 percent of women employed at restaurants owned by Puzder reported being sexually harassed at work — significantly higher than the national average for female fast food restaurant workers, which is 40 percent.
