Week ahead: Senate panel to vote on Trump’s Labor pick

President Trump’s pick to lead the Labor Department will face a key test Thursday when a Senate panel votes on whether to advance his nomination. 

By most accounts, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is expected to approve Alexander Acosta and send his nomination to the floor for final confirmation.

Senate Republicans seem more comfortable with Acosta, a former GOP member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), than they did with Trump’s first choice for the top Labor post, restaurant executive Andrew Puzder. The embattled Puzder faced heavy criticism from Democrats and labor groups for his business practices as the CEO of a fast-food giant. And he eventually lost the support of many Republicans after admitting that he hired an undocumented worker.

By contrast, Acosta is considered a safer — and much less controversial — choice to lead the Labor Department.

{mosads}Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) testified on Acosta’s behalf at his confirmation hearing, calling him a “brilliant, brilliant legal mind” who has “deep knowledge of labor issues.”

Senate Democrats expressed concerns over his politics and how much influence Trump will wield in his Labor Department. But even Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) indicated she had more respect for Acosta than his predecessor.

“You are President Trump’s second choice for secretary of Labor. I’ll be honest, I’m glad it’s not his first choice, Andrew Puzder, who is sitting here today,” Warren said during Acosta’s confirmation hearing.

“That said, the test for secretary of Labor is not, ‘Are you better than Andrew Puzder?’ The test is, ‘Will you stand up for American workers?’” she added. 

Acosta only needs a simple majority to be confirmed by the full Senate. At the committee level, expect a mostly party line vote, with a few Democrats, but not many, crossing the aisle to support Acosta.

Elsewhere, it will be a busy week on Capitol Hill.

On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security will hold a hearing on “restoring enforcement” of the nation’s immigration laws.

That same day, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection will meet for a hearing on self-driving cars. 

On Tuesday afternoon, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition will hold a hearing to discuss the future of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. 

On the Senate side, on Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee will meet to look at how to protect young athletes from sexual abuse.  

Also on that day, the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee will hold a hearing to look at what role financial companies can play in fostering economic growth. 

On Wednesday, Small Business and Entrepreneurship will hold a hearing to look at how small businesses deal with regulations.

And the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues will hold a hearing Wednesday to look at ways to improve prosperity and advance security on both sides of the border between the United States and Mexico.