Congressional Scorecard Update: Confirmation of David Weil to Wage and Hour Division

On April 28, 2014, the U.S. Senate confirmed another ardent Big Labor supporter, David Weil, to serve as the administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor by a 51-42 margin with seven not voting.

As administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, Weil would be responsible for administering and enforcing numerous federal labor laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, Davis-Bacon Act, and Service Contract Act. This will allow Weil to set wages in the construction and service industries in addition to enforcing minimum wage and overtime policy.

This is not a good sign for employers. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed written by Mary Kissel, Weil is described as “a life-long, left-wing academic with labor-union sympathies, no private-sector experience or legal training, and limited management experience.”

As Judson Phillips wrote in the Washington Times:

Like most Obama nominees, Weil wants to rewrite the regulation book to suit his view of the world, not the laws Congress has passed. Weil wants to redefine the term “employees” so that subcontractors and franchisees would be considered employees. This would devastate the American economy and small business.

To see how your senator voted, see WorkplaceChoice.org Congressional Scorecard here (VOTES 109 and 110).

The preferred votes are No on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of David Weil to be Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, Dept. of Labor (VOTE 109) and a No vote on the confirmation of David Weil to be Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, Dept. of Labor (VOTE 110).