David Weil Withdraws From Consideration as Wage-Hour Chief (1)

David Weil, an Obama-era official whose nomination was defeated in the U.S. Senate, is withdrawing his name from consideration for the role of the nation’s chief wage-hour regulator.

Weil’s decision, announced in a tweet from U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, reflects the political realities in the Senate after a public loss last month. The White House later confirmed the withdrawal in a statement.

Weil served as Wage and Hour administrator during part of the Obama administration and was opposed by Republicans and their business community allies, who successfully convinced three moderate Senate Democrats—Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly as well as West Virginia’s Joe Manchin—to vote against the nomination.

Republicans accused Weil, an ardent critic of gig-economy companies’ labor practices—which rely heavily upon use of independent contractors—of supporting policies they said would stifle franchising and independent contracting.

Weil said late Thursday that he was disappointed by the vote, and “the distorted views of my record on which the negative views were cast.”

“I am sorry that I will not be able to serve in the role of Administrator at this critical moment for the nation’s workforce,” he told Bloomberg Law.

The Labor Department, while also confirming Weil’s withdrawal, declined to comment further.

—With assistance from Rebecca Rainey