Senate Confirms Pruitt, Puzder Withdraws

The United States Senate voted Friday to confirm Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). NRMCA Government Affairs applauds the confirmation of Mr. Pruitt and looks forward to working with the EPA to provide relief from onerous regulations imposed by the Obama Administration. The vote for Pruitt came a day after confirmation hearings were initially scheduled to begin for President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Labor, Andy Puzder. However, just a day earlier, Mr. Puzder withdrew his name from consideration after it became evident several key senators were not behind the nominee. Mr. Puzder has been an outspoken critic of government regulations and openly opposed the National Labor Relation Board’s (NLRB) joint employer decision with an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal. Organized labor opposed Mr. Puzder’s confirmation and targeted his nomination from the beginning.

Within hours of Mr. Puzder’s withdrawing his name, the Trump Administration announced the nomination of Alex Acosta to serve as Labor Secretary. Mr. Acosta is a former member of the NLRB and viewed as a conservative pick who will apply the law rather than seek to expand it.

NRMCA’s Government Affairs team had been active in advocating for both Scott Pruitt and Andy Puzder. We are excited to see Mr. Pruitt confirmed as EPA Administrator and will continue to advocate for a Secretary of Labor in line with NRMCA’s regulatory priorities and the issues important to the ready mixed concrete industry.