Schumer: Trump should drop Labor nominee

The Senate’s top Democrat is demanding that President Trump withdraw Andrew Puzder’s nomination to lead the Labor Department.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) on Thursday called Puzder “probably the most anti-worker nominee to the Department of Labor ever.”

“Donald Trump campaigned on behalf of the working men and women,” Schumer said. “He said he was going to represent them. The nomination of Mr. Puzder represents broken promise after broken promise. Donald Trump has amazing gall, to have campaigned the way he did, and then put this man as nominee for secretary of Labor.

{mosads}“They ought to withdraw the nomination of Puzder before he further embarrasses this administration and further exposes the hypocrisy of President Trump, saying one thing to the workers of America, and then doing another,” he added.

The new date marks the fourth time that the CKE Restaurants CEO’s hearing was rescheduled. It was delayed last week to give Puzder time to separate himself from CKE, which owns the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s fast food chains.

Puzder’s nomination has stirred criticism because of his views on issues such as sick leave and overtime pay for workers. He admitted on Monday that he had once employed an undocumented immigrant as a housekeeper, but said he fired the woman when he learned she wasn’t eligible to work in the U.S.

“Nominating Puzder to oversee the Labor Department is clearly having a fox guard the hen house, and a pretty sharp-toothed fox at that,” Schumer said. “How can a man who made his career, his fortune in an industry known for cheating workers out of wages and overtime, be trusted?”

“Unfortunately, you could not have picked a worse nominee to uphold these goals than Andrew Puzder,” Schumer continued.

“Everything in his career is antithetical to the goals of the Department of Labor. If there was a missions statement for Puzder’s career, it would be the exact opposite of the mission statement of the Department of Labor.”

Updated 12:17 p.m.