President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of CKE Restaurants chief executive Andrew Puzder to head the U.S. Department of Labor was a solid one.
There’s perhaps no one better suited to fight for American workers and promote free market ideas over government mandates. A proven job-creator and distinguished business leader, Puzder prides himself as a leader who puts workers before union bosses and knows the realities of running a successful business with 75,000 employees.
A frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal, his policy positions and views have been laid out in black and white, and he’s written at length about the ramifications of Obamacare, his opposition to a massive federal minimum wage hike and the perils of excessive government regulation.
Indeed, in 2010 he co-authored a book outlining his free-market job creation theory in Job Creation: How It Really Works and Why Government Doesn’t Understand It, championing the idea that “Private enterprise, unencumbered by excessive government intervention, will create jobs. Period!”
Puzder has the real-world experience and know-how to unravel eight years of Obama’s job-killing regulations, which have upended decades of established labor law, stifled small businesses and boosted the influence of labor bosses. He understands how our economy works and knows the harms of excessive regulation on American employment. Trump’s nomination of Puzder as secretary of labor signals the incoming administration’s seriousness around getting Americans back to work through a pro-growth, pro-worker agenda.
Puzder has decades of expertise. As general counsel of CKE Restaurants, he turned around a struggling business, helping Carl’s Jr founder Carl Karcher avoid bankruptcy, later serving as Fidelity National Financial’s general counsel and becoming the CEO of CKE Restaurants. As CEO, he’s largely credited with getting CKE on more stable financial footing and “turning around both the Hardee’s brand and CKE, allowing the company to survive, become financially secure and return to growth,” according to the company’s website.
We need a disrupter at the helm of the Department of Labor — someone who doesn’t accept the status quo of a slow-growing economy and lagging employment. Someone who will curtail the unchecked power of Big Labor, roll back stifling mandates and foster the environment necessary for economic growth that creates jobs and opportunity. Importantly, we need an advocate at the Department of Labor who will be a strong champion of worker choice and commonsense right-to-work laws. Andy Puzder is that disrupter — who will harness his decades of private sector experience to transform the department from a rubber stamp for union bosses to a defender of free enterprise and worker freedom.
Under President Obama, more businesses have closed in our country than been started. Our labor force participation rate stands at a mere 63 percent. The status quo isn’t working — and Puzder offers a fresh perspective.
Referred to as the “poster CEO for the regulatory reform effort” by the Associated Press, Puzder is an excellent choice to lead the Department of Labor and advocate for policies that benefit both workers and employers. With his nomination, the incoming administration has solidified their commitment to advancing common-sense policies that promote stability and economic growth, while also unwinding damaging regulations that have killed jobs. All of this is good news for America’s workforce.
I look forward to his swift confirmation.
Heather Greenaway is a spokesperson for the Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI). Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
