After eight years of crippling regulations and policies detrimental to American workers, the Trump administration is committed to getting our nation back on track through free-market ideals that will grow our economy and create jobs.
We’ve seen that commitment from the inauguration — with President Trump signing an executive order to reduce bureaucratic red tape as one of his first actions. His “one-in, two-out” order affirms that this is a major priority, requiring that for every new regulation imposed by federal agencies, two must be rescinded.
Trump has also made clear his intention to roll back the Obama overtime rule — an egregious change to the way millions of workers are classified that arbitrarily doubled the salary threshold for overtime pay from $23,660 to $47,476. The administration has already taken the first step to kill this harmful mandate.
And now, Trump’s pick of Alexander Acosta to head the Department of Labor is further indication of this administration’s economic vision when it comes to labor policy.
As a former member of the National Labor Relations Board appointed by President George W. Bush, Acosta knows firsthand how to unravel the job-killing regulations put in place by the Obama administration in favor of pro-growth, free-market principles that get Americans back to work. He acutely understands the harm of NLRB decisions that benefit Big Labor at the expense of our nation’s job creators and workers — like the ambush election rule, micro-union decision and joint-employer standard — and he has experience enforcing the labor laws.
Acosta is a man with an extremely accomplished legal record, and he’s spent years advocating for the rights of minorities at the Justice Department, ensuring civil liberties were protected. As a former assistant attorney general in the Bush administration and a U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, as well as a former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, his reputation for pragmatism and fairness precedes him.
With Acosta at the helm of Labor Department, there’s no question he’ll leverage his skills and experience to serve as a champion of America’s workforce while restoring balance between overregulation and firm protections for our country’s workers and job creators. And that’s exactly what we need.
The last eight years have been a disaster for small businesses in our nation. Under President Obama, more businesses have closed than been started. Our labor force participation barely breaks 60 percent and our country has become one of the hardest places to earn a living. It’s high time for a leader at the Department of Labor who will prioritize regulatory reform and who refuses to accept the status quo of a slow-growing economy and lagging unemployment.
President Trump was swept into office by voters who believe the American Dream must be restored. And even though it’s early still, he’s already begun to deliver. Free-market policies over government mandates have been front and center during the first month of the administration, and President Trump has been steadfast on the need to reduce regulations, promote American jobs and grow our economy.
There’s no one better to help him accomplish these goals than Alexander Acosta. He’s highly qualified to serve as secretary of labor and deserves swift confirmation.
