Senate Confirms Alexander Acosta as Secretary of Labor

On April 27, 2017, the Senate confirmed Alexander Acosta as Secretary of Labor by a vote of 60-38. Secretary Acosta was sworn into office one day later [PDF version to Secretary Acosta's remarks]. The confirmation completed President Donald Trump's cabinet.

We detailed Secretary Acosta's resume prior to being nominated for Secretary of Labor in a short post on his nomination for the position [see blog]. In his new post, Secretary Acosta will be a significant figure in the employment immigration context — specifically regarding labor certification — throughout his tenure. For reasons that I discussed in my blog on his nomination, Secretary Acosta represents an excellent cabinet choice by President Trump. He served in a variety of capacities in the administration of former President George W. Bush, including on the National Labor Relations Board. Secretary Acosta also has impeccable legal credentials, having served effectively as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida — an especially difficult post — from 2005 to 2009. For these reasons, there is good reason to believe that he will prove to be a steady and effective Secretary of Labor.