Free idea for a new supervillain character and also an easy way to sum up Andy Puzder, Trump’s pick to head the Department of Labor. Puzder is CEO of CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. restaurants. He’s against raising the minimum wage and the new rule to ensure people get paid overtime. He’s anti-worker and anti-ACA. He blames low-wage workers for poverty and supports replacing workers with machines. In other words, he opposes almost everything the Department of Labor was created to do. Trump’s latest anti-worker nomination, comes less than 24 hours after the president-elect took to Twitter to attack a union local president for standing up for hundreds of Carrier workers who will lose their jobs though an incentive deal worked out by the new administration.
So to recap: Donald Trump ran his campaign on a platform of helping working people. Then he attacked a union president for standing up for hundreds of workers losing their jobs and the he nominated a Labor Secretary who opposes nearly every policy that would help working people. Here are 10 reasons Puzder is the anti-labor secretary.
TRANSITION TRACKER
RIP, EPA. Yesterday, Trump nominated fossil-fuel-bestie and clean-air-enemy Scott Pruitt for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt, currently Attorney General of Oklahoma, is the most recent climate denier and Koch affiliate to be nominated for a position in Trump’s administration. He also, importantly, has been a key enemy of the EPA for years. Don’t know anything about Pruitt? Here are four reasons he’s sure to protect the fossil fuel industry over the environment.
Trump Train. It’s heading to Iowa today. See the effect Trump’s campaign promises would have on the Hawkeye state here.
WHAT’S TRENDING
Outsource Watch. Keeping American jobs from being shipped overseas was one of Trump’s key promises, and one we hope he keeps. But we’re not holding our breath. Today, Senators Schumer and Peters, along with CAP Action President and CEO Neera Tanden and United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard announced a new effort to track how many jobs are shipped abroad under Trump’s watch.
Ohio. It’s back in the spotlight. Yesterday, Ohio lawmakers approved an extreme bill that would outlaw abortions after six weeks—well before many women even realize they are pregnant. Governor John Kasich still has to sign the bill, but state legislators are feeling hopeful that, with a new Republican administration and Supreme Court nominee, the bill could withstand the flurry of legal challenges headed its way. Reminder: thanks to the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade, abortion is currently legal up until the point of viability, which is around 24 weeks.
Keeping it swampy. Yesterday, Trump held a fundraiser full of Wall Street elite, Washington lobbyists (who are permitted to give to the non-profit running Trump’s transition), and even Mark Burnett of The Apprentice. While Trump was raising $4 million for his transition, he again railed against Boeing. Looks like Trump’s promises to drain the swamp and not be influenced by Wall Street aren’t going so well.
Seeking justice. In a Trump era full of hate crimes in which vital protections are likely to be revoked, making access to justice for all Americans is now more critical than ever. Yet, effective legal assistance remains out of reach for the majority of Americans—worsening inequities and disadvantages that already exist and will likely grow over the next four years. Check out this new CAP report that examines access to justice and what we can do to help more get access.
Protections for all. While same-sex couples now have the freedom to marry nationwide, LGBTQ people still need protections from other forms of discrimination. LGBTQ people remain at risk of being fired from their job, denied housing, profiled by law enforcement or kicked out of a restaurant or an office simply because of who they are. Read more about securing comprehensive and inclusive protections at all levels of government here.
UNDER THE RADAR
New Lows. On a trip a recent trip to White House, our nation’s first Somali-American legislator, Ilan Omar, received an insulting welcome to D.C. when her cab-driver targeted her with a series of Islamophobic and sexist taunts. The cabbie called her ISIS and threatened to remove her hijab.
Consequences. Repealing the ACA would have serious ones. But in addition to causing nearly 30 million people to lose their insurance, repealing the law could lead to 36,000 deaths a year.
GOOD NEWS
New World Order. This time, on a happy note. Lydia Polgreen, a queer woman of color, will be filling the shoes of Ariana Huffington as the Huffington Post’s new editor in chief. At only 41, Polgreen is one of the youngest, yet experienced, EICs of a major publication (foreign correspondent in South Africa, India, West Africa; international editor; the list goes on). In an industry known for its lack of diversity, Polgreen’s appointment to the top post is a breath of fresh air and reminder that inclusion is the best path forward.