Letter to the Senate Urging Nomination of Acosta for Secretary of the Department of Labor

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Dear Senators:

On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, we write to express our support for the nomination of Alexander Acosta for Secretary of the United States Department of Labor (DOL). Mr. Acosta is highly qualified to lead the nation’s top labor and employment regulatory agency.

Mr. Acosta’s previous government experience and knowledge of labor and employment law make him uniquely fit to guide the Department. He possesses experience in the labor field as a member of National Labor Relations Board, the agency that governs private-sector labor relations, as well as having taught employment law at the George Mason University School of Law.  

A new voice at the DOL is crucial in order to reverse course from Obama-era labor and employment policies that overwhelmed job creators with burdensome regulations, creating immense uncertainty for employers. The regulatory maze created by the Obama Labor Department imposed $55.7 billion in total finalized regulatory costs and added nearly 70 million hours in paperwork burden for job creators. As Labor Secretary, Mr. Acosta would have the opportunity to tear down government barriers to job creation.

During the Obama administration, the DOL implemented policies to promote the private interests of labor unions, not all workers or the economy. Mr. Acosta will bring welcome change to the Labor Department. As a veteran of public service, he is committed to enforcing the law, not pursuing a political agenda.

Mr. Acosta understands that the federal government needs to eliminate needless red tape in order to unleash the main drivers of job creation, small businesses. This attitude was illustrated during Acosta’s confirmation hearing. When pressed on what action he would take regarding the Obama administration’s needless overtime rule, which is currently enjoined, he commented it would put undue stress on the economy and questioned whether the Labor Secretary has the authority to set a salary threshold for overtime eligibility.

Mr. Acosta is well-suited to become the next Secretary of Labor. He understands that burdensome regulations stifle growth. He is committed to not overreaching his authority and do his best to wisely spend tax dollars on programs that actually benefit hardworking Americans. We fully support Mr. Acosta for the position of Labor Secretary and encourage the Senate to swiftly approve his nomination.

Sincerely,

Iain Murray

Vice President for Strategy

Trey Kovacs

Policy Analyst