The defeat of David Weil, the Biden administration’s pick for top wage and hour regulator, was the result of a months-long grassroots campaign to specifically target and convince moderate Senate Democrats to vote against him.
The U.S. Senate March 30 voted 47-53 on a procedural motion to advance Weil to be the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division administrator, turning back the nominee.
Senate Democrats Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), and Mark Kelly (Ariz.) broke from their party to join all Republicans in opposing Weil.
The vote was a public blow to the Biden administration and its labor agenda that trained a spotlight on disagreements among congressional Democrats.
Persistent lobbying from the International Franchise Association and other business groups successfully flipped Sinema and Kelly, as well as Manchin, who voted in favor of Weil in 2014 when he was nominated for the same role in the Obama administration.
Manchin heard directly from franchise owners in West Virginia, who convinced him to oppose Weil, business groups said. The senator had expressed concerns about the nominee last year, and ultimately said he could not support the nomination because he believed the health of businesses wouldn’t be Weil’s “utmost priority.”
“West Virginia small businesses are the heart of our economy and our communities. Mr. Weil’s track record...
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