President Biden’s nominee to head the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division was struck down on Wednesday as three Democratic senators joined Republicans voting against moving forward on his nomination.
David Weil, Biden’s pick, served in the position from 2014 until the end of President Obama’s tenure as president. The final vote was 47-53. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Sen. Mark Kelly, both from Arizona, and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin voted against moving forward with Weil’s nomination, Politico reported.
The Biden administration will have to put forward a different nominee for the position in the near future.
"As she promised Arizonans, Kyrsten evaluates all nominees based on three criteria: whether or not they are professionally qualified, believe in the missions of their agencies, and can be trusted to faithfully execute and uphold the law," the spokesperson for Sinema told CNN. "Upon reviewing Mr. Weil's nomination, she has concerns with his ability to faithfully execute and uphold the law."
Manchin cited Weil’s “track record” and told CNN Weil’s “previous statements are problematic for many West Virginia employees and business owners."
Politico noted that Weil’s critics do not approve of several of his Obama-era policies and that he was “one of President Joe Biden’s most polarizing labor-related nominees.” Several groups reportedly put pressure on Sinema “in hopes of tanking Weil’s nomination.”
Business group the International Franchise Association (IFA) told The Hill in a statement that the organization “thanks Senators Sinema, Manchin, and Kelly and all 50 Republicans who stood up for local franchise businesses and workers across the country by voting against the nomination of David Weil tonight.”