If you want to watch a man try to lie poorly, just ask him to tell the truth over and over again and watch him dance. Alex Acosta is the second anti-union Labor Secretary nominee that the Trump administration has put forward. Senator Elizabeth Warren was questioning Acosta about whether or not he would make sure that the labor safety-protections put in by the Obama administration last year would be applied and supported as they are, as of now, in effect. Specifically, Sen. Warren asked about the new regulations on silica exposure. Silica, found in most construction sites, has been a known cancer-causing agent for decades—and it wasn’t until last March that President Obama’s administration decided to do something about protecting the approximately 2.3 million workers threatened by exposure to it.
Warren: Would you promise not to weaken the silica rule in any way and not to delay future compliance by even a single say?
Acosta: Um, as you mentioned, the silica rule went into effect; I should however make clear that the President, through an executive action, has directed all cabinet secretaries…
You get the idea. Acosta repeats what Sen. Warren says and then begins passing the buck—which seems to be the Republican modus operandi about everything. Sen. Warren cuts him off to tell him that we all know about the dumb idiotic executive order, but since this is the job you want and silica is poison, maybe you could give us a quick review here about your thoughts on the silica exposure rule that has taken effect.
Warren: I want to understand what that means when you say ‘the Department of Labor has been ordered to review all rules.’ You know, you’re about to be named as Secretary of Labor and your name goes on the bottom line for enforcing the law. If you’re going to stand up for 150 million workers, including people who are being poisoned by silica—or you’re not.
Acosta hems and haws a little more and Sen. Warren continues to hit him with the droning question—whatta ya gonna do? Acosta, like the rest of this administration, is a lightweight intellect and a sniveling coward in a serious position of power. Acosta is no friend to workers. In fact, he’s clearly against any resemblance of law when it comes to the rights of workers.