Acosta Doubles Down on No Minimum Wage Hike, Epstein Deal Defense

In a second day of congressional questioning, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta again faced inquiries and criticism over a 2008 plea deal in which he allegedly helped a convicted sex offender avoid harsh punishment, his comments on the federal minimum wage, and plans to expand industry-led job training programs.

Acosta doubled down May 2 on his previous day’s comments made during a House Education and Labor Committee hearing in which he said he doesn’t support a change to the federal $7.25 minimum wage. His latest comments came during the Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the DOL’s 2020 budget proposal.

Repeated probes...