Business groups endorse Trump’s Labor pick

President Trump’s second choice to lead the Labor Department, Alexander Acosta, is receiving support from business leaders ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

A coalition of 70 business groups wrote to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Monday, calling for swift confirmation of Acosta, the dean of Florida International University’s law school and a former member of the National Labor Relations Board.

Unlike Trump’s first Labor pick, restaurant executive Andrew Puzder, who is still reeling from criticism about how he treats fast-food workers, Acosta is seen as a “dedicated public servant who has spent years wrestling with complex legal issues, and has proven management and federal agency experience,” the businesses wrote.

{mosads}The businesses said Acosta will help “eliminate job-crushing regulations,” which is a top priority for Trump and Senate Republicans.

“Businesses continue to face a great deal of uncertainty due to regulatory overreach by the previous administration,” the letter reads. “President Trump has issued numerous, vitally important executive orders aimed at quickly addressing the regulatory challenges facing the business community and to ensure employers can focus on creating jobs and growing the economy.”

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) has also endorsed Acosta, who hails from his home state.