WASHINGTON (AP) — Andrew Puzder says he is withdrawing as President Donald Trump’s nominee for labor secretary.

The fast food executive says in a statement provided to The Associated Press that he was “honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America’s workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity.”

Puzder says “while I won’t be serving in the administration, I fully support the President and his highly qualified team.”

Puzder’s confirmation hearing was scheduled for Thursday. But some Republicans had raised concerns about his failure to pay taxes for five years on a former housekeeper who wasn’t authorized to work in the U.S.

Puzder is CEO of CKE Restaurants Inc. </s> President Trump is expected to announce his replacement for labor secretary on Thursday. His earlier pick, fast-food executive Andrew Puzder, withdrew his nomination on Wednesday after losing support from members of both parties.

In a congressional listening session Thursday morning, Trump said the "man" he will be announcing is a "great person."

Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants — including Hardee's and Carl's Jr., had been scheduled for a confirmation hearing on Thursday after multiple delays. As NPR's Yuki Noguchi has reported, Puzder faced criticism for his management of the company and for more personal issues, including a now-retracted domestic abuse allegation from his wife and hiring a housekeeper who came to the U.S. illegally.

Among those rumored to be next up for the labor secretary position was Catherine Templeton, former secretary of South Carolina's Labor, Licensing and Regulation Department. Trump's comment Thursday about the nominee being a man apparently puts her out of the running.

Other contenders, as reported by CNBC, include Peter Kirsanow, who formerly served on the National Labor Relations Board; R. Alexander Acosta, also a former member of the NLRB; and Joseph Guzman, a labor relations professor at Michigan State University. </s> Fast-food executive Andrew Puzder withdrew his nomination to head the Labor Department on Wednesday as his support on Capitol Hill faltered. Facing criticism from both sides of the aisle, Puzder became the first Trump Cabinet pick whose nomination failed.



"After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor. I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America's workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity. I want to thank President Trump for his nomination. I also thank my family and my many supporters—employees, businesses, friends and people who have voiced their praise and hopeful optimism for the policies and new thinking I would have brought to America as Secretary of Labor. While I won't be serving in the administration, I fully support the President and his highly qualified team."



Ahead of his scheduled confirmation hearing on Thursday, which had been delayed several times, it became less clear Puzder had support from his own party, facing pressure to withdraw. Several Republican senators, including Maine's Susan Collins, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, Georgia's Johnny Isakson and South Carolina's Tim Scott, signaled trouble by saying they were undecided on Puzder.

In a statement responding to Puzder's withdrawal, Scott said, "As revelations regarding paying employees in cash, illegal immigration, and comments regarding some of the American workforce came to light, I developed serious concerns regarding his nomination." Scott said he informed Senate GOP leadership about his reluctance to support Puzder.

Puzder has faced a range of criticisms, from his record running the Hardee's and Carl's Jr.'s fast-food chains to old allegations — since retracted — of domestic abuse made by his ex-wife. More recently, Puzder disclosed he employed a housekeeper who was not in the country legally. Labor unions, which had planned to protest his nomination outside the Senate offices where the hearing was to be held, have argued a Puzder-led Labor Department would undermine their efforts to raise the federal minimum wage, expand the eligibility for overtime pay and enforce wage and hour violations, among other things.

Puzder, a corporate attorney by training, was first a lawyer for CKE Restaurants, which operates Hardee's, Carl's Jr., Green Burrito and Red Burrito restaurants. He helped founder Carl Karcher settle an insider trading case with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Then, after the chain fell into financial trouble following its acquisition of Hardee's in the late 1990s, Puzder helped turn the company around and in 2000 was named CEO.

As CEO, and later as a Trump campaign adviser, Puzder has been outspoken about his views on labor policy, contributing to newspaper opinion pages and on television, discussing issues such as immigration. During the Republican presidential primaries, Puzder advocated creating a path to legal status for unauthorized workers living in the U.S. He endorsed a more moderate "comprehensive immigration reform," similar to what candidates Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio were proposing at the time.

That endorsement won him critics from the right, who want the Trump administration to make good on promises to get tougher on illegal immigration and crack down to deport those in the country illegally.

In an opinion piece titled "No to Puzder" in the National Review published Feb. 15, the conservative magazine wrote: "The case for his confirmation has diminished to the point of disappearing."

The most vocal critics, however, have pointed to his industry's record at the very department he would lead.

For the fast-food industry overall, during the 2016 federal fiscal year, the agency found violations in 86 percent of the 1,300 cases it investigated for wage theft, or for unpaid overtime. CKE Restaurants had one of the lowest incidents of reported cases, faring relatively well in an industry that came in for a lot of criticism under the Obama administration.

Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, said Puzder would not have enforced labor laws against his own industry. "How can he possibly go out and defend workers," he said, arguing the agency should be headed by someone with a history of trying to protect the interests of workers. </s> Fast-food executive Andrew Puzder withdrew his nomination to head the Labor Department on Wednesday as his support on Capitol Hill faltered. Facing criticism from both sides of the aisle, Puzder became the first Trump Cabinet pick whose nomination failed.



"After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor. I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America's workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity. I want to thank President Trump for his nomination. I also thank my family and my many supporters—employees, businesses, friends and people who have voiced their praise and hopeful optimism for the policies and new thinking I would have brought to America as Secretary of Labor. While I won't be serving in the administration, I fully support the President and his highly qualified team."



Ahead of his scheduled confirmation hearing on Thursday, which had been delayed several times, it became less clear Puzder had support from his own party, facing pressure to withdraw. Several Republican senators, including Maine's Susan Collins, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, Georgia's Johnny Isakson and South Carolina's Tim Scott, signaled trouble by saying they were undecided on Puzder.

In a statement responding to Puzder's withdrawal, Scott said, "As revelations regarding paying employees in cash, illegal immigration, and comments regarding some of the American workforce came to light, I developed serious concerns regarding his nomination." Scott said he informed Senate GOP leadership about his reluctance to support Puzder.

Puzder has faced a range of criticisms, from his record running the Hardee's and Carl's Jr.'s fast-food chains to old allegations — since retracted — of domestic abuse made by his ex-wife. More recently, Puzder disclosed he employed a housekeeper who was not in the country legally. Labor unions, which had planned to protest his nomination outside the Senate offices where the hearing was to be held, have argued a Puzder-led Labor Department would undermine their efforts to raise the federal minimum wage, expand the eligibility for overtime pay and enforce wage and hour violations, among other things.

Puzder, a corporate attorney by training, was first a lawyer for CKE Restaurants, which operates Hardee's, Carl's Jr., Green Burrito and Red Burrito restaurants. He helped founder Carl Karcher settle an insider trading case with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Then, after the chain fell into financial trouble following its acquisition of Hardee's in the late 1990s, Puzder helped turn the company around and in 2000 was named CEO.

As CEO, and later as a Trump campaign adviser, Puzder has been outspoken about his views on labor policy, contributing to newspaper opinion pages and on television, discussing issues such as immigration. During the Republican presidential primaries, Puzder advocated creating a path to legal status for undocumented workers living in the U.S. He endorsed a more moderate "comprehensive immigration reform," similar to what candidates Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio were proposing at the time.

That endorsement won him critics from the right, who want the Trump administration to make good on promises to get tougher on illegal immigration and crack down to deport those in the country illegally.

In an opinion piece titled "No to Puzder" in the National Review published Feb. 15, the conservative magazine wrote: "The case for his confirmation has diminished to the point of disappearing."

The most vocal critics, however, have pointed to his industry's record at the very department he would lead.

For the fast-food industry overall, during the 2016 federal fiscal year, the agency found violations in 86 percent of the 1,300 cases it investigated for wage theft, or for unpaid overtime. CKE Restaurants had one of the lowest incidents of reported cases, faring relatively well in an industry that came in for a lot of criticism under the Obama administration.

Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, said Puzder would not have enforced labor laws against his own industry. "How can he possibly go out and defend workers," he said, arguing the agency should be headed by someone with a history of trying to protect the interests of workers. </s> Fast food executive Andrew Puzder withdrew his nomination to head the Labor Department on Wednesday as his support on Capitol Hill faltered. Facing criticism from both sides of the aisle, Puzder became the first Trump Cabinet pick whose nomination failed.



"After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor. I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America's workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity. I want to thank President Trump for his nomination. I also thank my family and my many supporters—employees, businesses, friends and people who have voiced their praise and hopeful optimism for the policies and new thinking I would have brought to America as Secretary of Labor. While I won't be serving in the administration, I fully support the President and his highly qualified team."



Ahead of his scheduled confirmation hearing on Thursday, which had been delayed several times, it became less clear Puzder had support from his own party, facing pressure to withdraw. Several Republican Senators, including Maine's Susan Collins, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, Georgia's Johnny Isakson, and South Carolina's Tim Scott signaled trouble by saying they were undecided on Puzder.

In a statement responding to Puzder's withdrawal, Scott said, "As revelations regarding paying employees in cash, illegal immigration, and comments regarding some of the American workforce came to light, I developed serious concerns regarding his nomination." Scott said he informed Senate GOP leadership about his reluctance to support Puzder.

Puzder has faced a range of criticisms, from his record running the Hardee's and Carl's Jr.'s fast-food chains, to old allegations — since retracted — of domestic abuse made by his ex-wife. More recently, Puzder disclosed he employed a housekeeper who was not in the country legally. Labor unions, which had planned to protest his nomination outside the Senate offices where the hearing was to be held, have argued a Puzder-led Labor Department would undermine their efforts to raise the federal minimum wage, expand the eligibility for overtime pay, and enforce wage and hour violations, among other things.

Puzder, a corporate attorney by training, was first a lawyer for CKE Restaurants, which operates Hardee's, Carl's Jr., Green Burrito and Red Burrito restaurants. He helped founder Carl Karcher settle an insider trading case with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Then, after the chain fell into financial trouble following its acquisition of Hardee's in the late 1990s, Puzder helped turn the company around and in 2000 was named CEO.

As CEO, and later as a Trump campaign advisor, Puzder has been outspoken about his views on labor policy, contributing to newspaper opinion pages and on television, discussing issues such as immigration. During the Republican presidential primaries, Puzder advocated creating a path to legal status for undocumented workers living in the U.S. He endorsed a more moderate "comprehensive immigration reform," similar to what candidates Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio were proposing at the time.

That endorsement has won him critics from the right, who want the Trump administration to make good on promises to get tougher on illegal immigration and crack down to deport those in the country illegally.

In an opinion piece titled "No to Puzder" in the National Review published Feb. 15, the conservative magazine wrote: "The case for his confirmation has diminished to the point of disappearing."

The most vocal critics, however, have pointed to his industry's record at the very department he would lead.

For the fast-food industry overall, during the 2016 federal fiscal year, the agency found violations in 86 percent of the 1,300 cases it investigated for wage theft, or for unpaid overtime. CKE Restaurants had one of the lowest incidents of reported cases, faring relatively well in an industry that came in for a lot of criticism under the Obama administration.

Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, said Puzder would not have enforced labor laws against his own industry. "How can he possibly go out and defend workers," he said, arguing the agency should be headed by someone with a history of trying to protect the interests of workers. </s> President Trump has named R. Alexander Acosta as his replacement for labor secretary nominee. Trump's earlier pick, fast-food executive Andrew Puzder, withdrew his nomination on Wednesday afternoon after losing support on both sides of the aisle.

Acosta has been dean of the law school at Florida International University since 2009. He has been a member of the National Labor Relations Board and was U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Prior to that, he was an assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division during the George W. Bush administration.

His tenure there was not without controversy. Acosta filed a brief defending an Ohio law that allowed people to challenge the legitimacy of a voter at a polling place, even though the Justice Department was not involved in the case, as the Los Angeles Times reported in 2004.

While Acosta was U.S. attorney, his office was reprimanded by a federal judge after it was revealed that prosecutors there had illegally recorded conversations with the attorney of a doctor accused of illegally prescribing painkillers. Acosta said he had instructed his employees to not do that again.

If confirmed, Acosta will be the first Hispanic member of the president's Cabinet.

Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants — including Hardee's and Carl's Jr., had been scheduled for a confirmation hearing on Thursday after multiple delays. He faced criticism for his management of the company and for more personal issues, including a since-retracted domestic abuse allegation from his wife and hiring a housekeeper who came to the U.S. illegally. </s> Andy Puzder, President Donald Trump's nominee for labor secretary, is expected to withdraw his nomination on Wednesday amid growing questions about his business record and scrutiny from senators on both sides of the aisle, a senior administration official confirmed to NBC News.

The head of CKE Restaurants, which owns Hardee's and Carl's Jr., came under harsh criticism from Democrats and liberal groups for his opposition to raising the minimum wage, past controversial comments, and the racy ads his properties have used to promote the fast-food chains.

But it was Republicans who toppled Puzder. On the day before his confirmation hearing was expected to take place, more and more Republicans withheld support, saying that they'd like to wait until they hear from him in the hearing.

Puzder is the first of Trump's cabinet nominees to withdraw his nomination.

"This is a nominee, who probably is best suited, in terms of experience, knowing what to do at the deptartment of labor and how to get the yoke of federal regulations off of everybody. But obviously we'll bring up one or two concerns," said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee with oversight of his confirmation. "I'd like to support him, but I want to go through the hearing."

Roberts was just one of the half dozen Republicans on the committee, which hosts twelve members of the GOP, to express reservations.

Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia, said, "I'm going to the hearing tomorrow and I'll make my decision then."

Some conservatives have also taken issue with Puzder's immigration stance, saying it is at odds with Trump. His family also employed an undocumented worker as a housekeeper, though Puzder said he was unaware she was in the country illegally.

Personal issues also complicated the restaurant executives nomination. Puzder went through a messy divorce and his ex-wife made allegations of domestic abuse that were later recanted.

A 27-year-old video of the Oprah Winfrey Show surfaced his ex-wife making domestic abuse allegations. The Oprah Winfrey Network released the video and the Senate HELP committee and Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, provided several viewings of the show for committee members.

Democrats pointed to the high number of complaints by women employees who work for his company. They also took issue with his opposition to minimum wage, overtime protections and paid sick days.

Puzder has been unenthusiastic about the grueling process of revealing personal and financial information to the Senate for confirmation. His record has been scoured and his workplace practices have been highly criticized.

His confirmation hearing was postponed four times because he failed to turn in the required paperwork.

The bar to defeat a nominee has dramatically risen because of rule changes in 2013 that allow cabinet nominees to pass the Senate with the support of 51 senators instead of 60, meaning it takes bipartisan opposition to defeat a nominee.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, said he's "glad" Puzder is withdrawing his nomination.

"The simple truth is that given his relationship to employees at the companies he runs, he was not fit to lead a department responsible for defending workers' rights," Sanders said. </s> WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s Cabinet confirmations (all times EST):

The Senate has confirmed Steven Mnuchin as treasury secretary despite complaints by Democrats that the former banker ran a “foreclosure machine” when he headed OneWest Bank.

Republicans said Mnuchin’s long tenure in finance is an ample prerequisite for the Treasury job. Mnuchin is also a former top executive at Goldman Sachs.

Democrats complained that Mnuchin made much of his fortune by foreclosing on families during the financial crisis.

Mnuchin assembled a group to buy the failed IndyMac. He renamed it OneWest and turned it around, selling it for a profit in 2014.

Mnuchin has said he had worked hard during the financial crisis to assist homeowners with refinancing so they could remain in their homes.

Four Republicans on the Senate committee considering President Donald Trump’s nominee for labor secretary aren’t saying publicly if they will vote for him.

It would only take three Republicans to derail Andrew Puzder’s nomination in the full Senate if every Democrat votes against him.

The four senators — Susan Collins of Maine, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Johnny Isakson of Georgia and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — have said they’re waiting for Puzder to answer questions at Thursday’s confirmation hearing before they make up their minds.

Collins on Monday also became the first Republican to say publicly that she is evaluating abuse accusations leveled three decades ago by Puzder’s ex-wife. Lisa Fierstein has since recanted, most recently writing to senators last month that the fast food executive was never violent.

Mitt Romney is urging the Senate to confirm fast-food executive Andrew Puzder as President Donald Trump’s labor secretary.

The 2012 GOP presidential nominee said on social media that Puzder “knows how hard Americans work, and how much that work means to them and their families.” He said the CEO of CKE Restaurants Inc. would help create jobs by rolling back burdensome regulations on businesses.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is leading the argument against Puzder, saying he would side with businesses over workers from atop the agency charged with enforcing workplace protections. She also said he would have potential conflicts of interest despite his plan to divest from CKE.

The Senate is poised to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick for treasury secretary despite complaints by Democrats that the former banker failed to protect thousands of homeowners from unnecessary foreclosures.

Steven Mnuchin (mih-NOO’-chin) used to head OneWest Bank. He says he worked hard during the financial crisis to assist homeowners with refinancing so that they could remain in their homes.

Republicans say Mnuchin’s long tenure in finance is an ample prerequisite for the Treasury job.

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts says Mnuchin is a Wall Street insider whose bank was “a foreclosure machine.”

The Senate is scheduled to vote on Mnuchin Monday evening. The Senate is also scheduled to vote on the nomination of David Shulkin to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. </s> Andy Puzder, President Donald Trump's nominee for labor secretary, withdrew his nomination on Wednesday amid growing questions about his business record and past personal issues, which drew scrutiny from senators on both sides of the aisle.

Puzder, the head of CKE Restaurants, which owns Hardee's and Carl's Jr., came under harsh criticism from Democrats and liberal groups for his opposition to raising the minimum wage, previous controversial comments and the racy ads his properties have used to promote the fast-food chains.

Personal issues also complicated the nomination. A 27-year-old video from "The Oprah Winfrey Show" surfaced in which his ex-wife made domestic abuse allegations. The Oprah Winfrey Network released the video, and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions provided several viewings for committee members.

But it was Republicans who toppled Puzder. On the day before his confirmation hearing was expected to take place, more Republicans withheld support, saying that they'd like to wait until they hear from him in the hearing.

"After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor. I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America's workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity," Puzder said in a statement posted on his website.

Puzder is the first of Trump's cabinet nominees to withdraw his nomination as his passage in the Senate became more tenuous.

He came under fire from Democrats concerned about his labor practices as CEO of a company that hires mostly low-wage workers and growing concern among Republicans because of his checkered personal past and his hiring of an undocumented worker in his home.

"This is a nominee, who probably is best suited, in terms of experience, knowing what to do at the Department of Labor and how to get the yoke of federal regulations off of everybody. But obviously we'll bring up one or two concerns," said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee with oversight of his confirmation. "I'd like to support him, but I want to go through the hearing."

Roberts was just one of the half dozen Republicans on the committee, which hosts 12 members of the GOP, to express reservations.

Some conservatives also took issue with Puzder's immigration stance, saying it is at odds with Trump. His family also employed an undocumented worker as a housekeeper, though Puzder said he was unaware she was in the country illegally.

Democrats, reinforced by allies in labor unions, pointed to the high number of complaints by women employees who work for his company. They also took issue with his opposition to minimum wage, overtime protections and paid sick days. They also say he objectified women with his racy television commercials.

Puzder has been unenthusiastic about the grueling process of revealing personal and financial information to the Senate for confirmation. His record has been scoured and his workplace practices have been highly criticized.

His confirmation hearing was postponed four times because he failed to turn in the required paperwork.

Democrats and allied groups fiercely opposed Puzder. They bought television advertisements opposing him, including one that launched Wednesday in Maine and Alaska to target Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.

"There is some good news today for women and workers in America," said Sen. Patty Murray, top Democrat on the HELP Committee, on the Senate floor.

The bar to defeat a nominee has dramatically risen because of rule changes in 2013 that allow cabinet nominees to pass the Senate with the support of 51 senators instead of 60, meaning it takes bipartisan opposition to defeat a nominee.

Labor unions also celebrated his withdrawal. Richard Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO, said Puzder's withdrawal is "great news" for workers.

"We rallied in towns and cities across the country, flooded Senate offices with calls and e-mails and highlighted Puzder's terrible track record. The American people want a Labor Secretary who will hold employers accountable for paying a fair wage and providing a safe workplace while ensuring our right to a voice on the job," Trumka said.

President Donald Trump is now tasked with naming a new labor secretary.

If President Trump is remotely serious about standing up for workers, he will nominate someone for Labor Secretary that champions workers' rights rather than suppresses them," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, withdraws from consideration to be Secretary of Labor in President Donald Trump's cabinet.