President Trump’s labor- secretary nominee withdrew on Wednesday after it became clear he would fall short of the votes needed to win Senate confirmation.
Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, which owns the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. chains, said in a statement that he was “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.”
He added, “While I won’t be serving in the administration, I fully support the president and his highly qualified team.”
Democrats opposed Puzder (pictured) from the start, claiming his companies mistreated workers. Republicans were rattled by the disclosure that he failed to pay taxes for an undocumented housekeeper until a couple of months ago and by decades-old allegations that resurfaced of spousal abuse, even though his ex-wife recanted them.
Before the withdrawal, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), a staunch Puzder supporter, urged the White House to pull the nomination when four Republican senators notified him they would cast no votes and up to 12 said they might not back him, according to multiple reports.
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a member of the GOP leadership, said Puzder wasn’t willing to proceed with an oft-delayed confirmation hearing, last rescheduled for Thursday.
“I think there was a view that he would be a good witness” if “he was willing to go through with the process and he decided not to,” said Blunt of the planned hearing before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Twitter hailed Puzder’s “right & honorable choice” to withdraw.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) called the move “a victory for the American worker.”
Puzder needed at least 50 votes for Vice President Mike Pence to cast the 51st and deciding vote. But Republicans controlonly 52 Senate seats, so four defections doomed him.
Domestic-abuse allegations by Puzder’s ex-wife, Lisa Fierstein, arose when a 1990 video of her appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show resurfaced. Puzder consistently denied the claims before Fierstein withdrew them.