Editor’s Note: Andy Puzder officially withdrew himself from consideration as Labor Secretary since this column first published.
President Donald Trump announced his choice for chief of the U.S. Dept. of Labor (DOL), and while the nominee’s name may be relatively unknown, a look at Andrew Puzder’s ideology reveals that his nomination isn’t much of a surprise. Throughout his campaign, Trump criticized President Barack Obama’s regulatory action and has promised to do away with regulations that are stifling economic growth. “On regulations, we’re going to eliminate every single regulation that hurts our farms, our workers and our small businesses,” he pledged in a recent visit to Des Moines, Iowa. In a sign that he’s serious about rolling back the Obama administration’s regulatory actions and streamlining the economy, Trump nominated Puzder, a fast-food executive, to lead the charge.