The Senate’s labor committee on Thursday favorably reported out the nomination of Alexander Acosta to become the next United States Secretary of Labor. Mr. Acosta’s nomination is now ready for consideration by the full Senate.
“The Secretary of Labor should really be called the Secretary of the Workforce because the issue for workers today is not whether they belong to a union, it is whether they have the skills to adapt to the changing marketplace and to create, find, or keep good-paying jobs,” said Chairman Lamar Alexander. “We are fortunate to have a presidential nominee for Labor Secretary who understands how a good-paying job is critical to helping workers realize the American dream for themselves and for their families.
After immigrating to Miami from Cuba, Mr. Acosta’s parents worked hard to create more opportunities for their son. Alexander Acosta became the first person in his family to go to college and from there has had an impressive career. He’s been confirmed by the Senate three times—and I expect that we’ll confirm him a fourth.”
Mr. Acosta has served as a Republican member of the National Labor Relations Board, as an assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He currently serves as dean of the Florida International University’s law school.