Does Trump Have His Labor Secretary?

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pa., is the latest candidate floated as a prospective Secretary of Labor in a President Donald Trump administration.

Barletta, 60, who founded a pavement marking company in his hometown of Hazleton, Pa., met with Trump Tuesday in New York City.

Afterward, Barletta spoke to the media and confirmed he was offered the job. He reportedly promised an answer later this week. The congressman’s staff did not return messages seeking comment.

Among the important regulatory issues of concern to the financial services industry, Barletta lines up with mainstream Republicans.

In September, he called Department of Labor overtime regulations “ill-considered” and supported a proposal to delay the final rule by six months.

A Texas judge rendered the point moot by issuing a preliminary injunction against the rule last week.

Barletta also opposes the DOL fiduciary rule, voting in April to block the rule under the Congressional Review Act. That measure failed.

Barletta is the former mayor of Hazleton who made national news by pushing laws to punish employers who hire illegal immigrants and landlords who rent to them. The law was later deemed unconstitutional.

Barletta founded Interstate Road Marking Corp. in 1984. When he sold the company in 2000, it was the largest pavement marking company in Pennsylvania.

He ran for Congress in 2010 on his third matchup with Democratic Rep. Paul Kanjorski. Barletta sits on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

InsuranceNewsNet Senior Editor John Hilton has covered business and other beats in more than 20 years of daily journalism. John may be reached at john.hilton@innfeedback.com.

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