Labor secretary nominee Andy Puzder has officially bowed out of consideration for the cabinet position, according to the Associated Press.
Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants—the parent company of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.—was tired of being under fire for hiring an undocumented immigrant as a nanny and being accused 26 years ago of physically abusing his wife, an unnamed source told CBS News. The agency reported that Puzder was unlikely to show for the start of his confirmation hearings tomorrow.
Puzder has also been attacked by organized labor for comments suggesting that robots might be preferable to fast-food workers, a $15 minimum wage would be unworkable and that any federal wage requirements is fundamentally flawed.
A tally of how Senators were likely to vote on Puzder’s nomination showed that his confirmation was less than a survey, with five Republicans refusing to reveal how they were leaning. Without that support from President Trump’s party, confirmation would have been unlikely.