Donald J. Trump has been rapidly filling his cabinet with numerous high-profile picks over the last several weeks, and we have just learned the latest!
The President-elect is set to select fast-food executive Andy Puzder as Labor Secretary. Puzder is the chief executive of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Puzder “has been a vocal advocate for cutting back regulations he says have stifled growth in the restaurant industry, which represents 10% of the American workforce.
Puzder was an early supporter of Trump, serving as an adviser and contributor to his campaign, and has been a vocal critic of ObamaCare. He has also argued against raising the minimum wage higher than $9 an hour.
More from The Wall Street Journal:
Mr. Puzder is on the board of the International Franchise Association, a trade group that has criticized the Obama administration, saying it attacked the franchising model by implementing regulations that stunt job growth. Instead of focusing on stepping up workplace regulation to create jobs and higher wages, Mr. Puzder would likely call for tools such as an overhaul of the tax system, said Matt Haller, a spokesman for the franchise trade group.
The burger chains he oversees have a combined 3,750 locations in 44 states and 40 countries and U.S. territories. Mr. Puzder has served as chief executive officer of the company since September 2000. Long based in California, the company is in the process of consolidating its corporate headquarters in Nashville. Roark Capital owns CKE, having purchased the company fromApollo Global Management in December 2013.
Not surprisingly, liberals like Sam Stein of the far-left Huffington Post website viciously attacked the announcement of Puzder as Labor Secretary:
Not surprisingly, Trump’s apparent labor secretary choice, Andy Puzder, is against a min wage increase https://t.co/0nOWmvUxW7
— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) December 8, 2016
Rather than nominating a politician, Trump has chosen to hire someone from the business world to lead the Department of Labor, a strong sign that the incoming administration will have a strong pro-business agenda.
Do you think Puzder will be a strong advocate for business within the Labor Department? Share your thoughts below!