U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated former National Labor Relations Board member R. Alexander Acosta to serve as U.S. Secretary of Labor, one day after Mr. Trump’s original choice withdrew.
Mr. Acosta is dean of the Florida International University College of Law in Miami and is Mr. Trump’s first Hispanic nominee.
“He has had a tremendous career,” Mr. Trump told reporters assembled in the East Room of the White House. “I think he’ll be a tremendous Secretary of Labor.” Before returning to the private sector, Mr. Acosta had a decades-long public service career, serving in three presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed positions.
He was appointed to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by former Republican President George W. Bush, who also appointed him to be assistant attorney-general in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Mr. Trump’s first Labor Secretary pick, Andrew Puzder, the chief executive officer of CKE Restaurants Inc, removed his name from consideration on Wednesday amid concerns that he could not garner enough Senate votes to be confirmed. Mr. Trump also defended Michael Flynn, who resigned as the National Security Adviser earlier this week, saying Mr. Flynn did nothing wrong in holding pre-inauguration talks with the Russian Ambassador.
