Takano: Labor Nominee Not Fit for the Job

WASHINGTON — Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) on Dec. 8 issued the following statement in response to numerous reports that fast-food CEO Andy Puzder will be President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of labor:

“The secretary of labor is assigned the critical role of advocating for American workers and protecting working families from injustice and abuse. Nothing in Andy Puzder’s record suggests that he is prepared to fulfill that responsibility. At nearly every opportunity, Mr. Puzder has sided with wealthy corporate interests over the health and welfare of middle-class Americans.

“He opposed the first meaningful update to overtime laws in 39 years, he opposed raising the minimum wage, and he has shown more interest in the future of robots than the future of his employees and their families.

“Historic levels of income inequality are not an inevitable consequence of a changing economy; they are the result of the choices we make in public policy. We need a labor secretary who will push our country to make the right choices. Through his words and through his actions, Mr. Puzder has proven that he is not fit for the job.”