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Labor nominee Acosta: Trump is the boss
Labor nominee Acosta: Trump is the boss
By Marianne LeVine | 03/22/17 03:24 PM EDT
More than one Trump nominee has vowed, at Senate confirmation, to "speak truth to power." Labor secretary nominee Alexander Acosta, notably, did not. ... Acosta told the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Wednesday that Cabinet members “work for the president, and we will all ultimately follow his direction unless we feel that we can’t."
Senate Democrats grilled Acosta, in vain, about whether he would preserve Obama Labor Department regulations governing overtime pay, health and safety, and retirement. Acosta repeatedly declined to express his views, citing President Donald Trump’s instructions that Cabinet members review all regulations for possible elimination or modification. ... Acosta came closest to expressing an opinion on the subject of overtime.
....
Acosta declined to answer Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) when she asked whether he would keep a Labor Department regulation that drastically reduced workers’ exposure to crystalline silica dust, which kills more workers on an annualized basis than die in {coal mine accidents}. Citing Trump's directive to review regulations, Acosta told senators he “{could not} make a commitment” to preserving the rule, which was four decades in the making.
“You’ve refused to answer my questions," Warren complained, "hiding behind an executive order that President Trump issued asking agency heads to review pending regulations."
....
Authors:
Marianne LeVine | mlevine@politico.com | @marianne_levine
By Marianne LeVine | 03/22/17 03:24 PM EDT
More than one Trump nominee has vowed, at Senate confirmation, to "speak truth to power." Labor secretary nominee Alexander Acosta, notably, did not. ... Acosta told the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Wednesday that Cabinet members “work for the president, and we will all ultimately follow his direction unless we feel that we can’t."
Senate Democrats grilled Acosta, in vain, about whether he would preserve Obama Labor Department regulations governing overtime pay, health and safety, and retirement. Acosta repeatedly declined to express his views, citing President Donald Trump’s instructions that Cabinet members review all regulations for possible elimination or modification. ... Acosta came closest to expressing an opinion on the subject of overtime.
....
Acosta declined to answer Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) when she asked whether he would keep a Labor Department regulation that drastically reduced workers’ exposure to crystalline silica dust, which kills more workers on an annualized basis than die in {coal mine accidents}. Citing Trump's directive to review regulations, Acosta told senators he “{could not} make a commitment” to preserving the rule, which was four decades in the making.
“You’ve refused to answer my questions," Warren complained, "hiding behind an executive order that President Trump issued asking agency heads to review pending regulations."
....
Authors:
Marianne LeVine | mlevine@politico.com | @marianne_levine
No confirmation of nominees while an administration is under investigation and the president is in his last year in office.
2 replies
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