President Trump named Alexander Acosta as his new nominee to be Secretary of Labor Thursday, one day after the withdrawal of his first pick, Andrew Puzder.
Acosta, who served as assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division under President George W. Bush, most recently served as dean of Florida International University College of Law. If confirmed, he would be the first Hispanic in Trump’s Cabinet.
“He’s going to be a tremendous Secretary of Labor,” Trump told reporters in the East Room of the White House, noting that Acosta had been confirmed by the Senate for three previous jobs.
Puzder was forced to withdraw his nomination after some Senate Republicans balked at accusations of abuse directed at him by his ex-wife.
His outspoken comments against the minimum wage, as well as concerns that he had hired a household employee in the U.S. illegally without payment also contributed to his ouster.
More Must-Read Stories From TIME
- How an Online Pharmacy Sold Millions Worth Of Dubious COVID-19 Drugs — While Patients Paid the Price
- Why Literally Millions of Americans Are Quitting Their Jobs
- Meet the Women Participating in the Study That Could Change Future of Breast Cancer
- Inside the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of Tomorrow's Business Leaders
- An Innovative Washington Law Aims to Get Foreign-Trained Doctors Back in Hospitals
- Why the Ex-Husband of a Missing Chinese Billionaire Is Risking All to Tell Their Story
- Timothée Chalamet Wants You to Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve
