Pizzella to Take on Role as Acting Secretary of Labor

Patrick Pizzella, the current Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labor, will take over as the Acting Labor Secretary in the wake of Alexander Acosta’s July 12 resignation.  

Pizzella, who has served as the Deputy Secretary since April 2018, will likely serve as the Acting Secretary until a replacement is nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the Senate. He is viewed by many as a pro-business conservative with an extensive résumé serving in Washington.   

According to his bio, the incoming Acting Secretary previously served as a Member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) after being nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2013. Pizzella also is no stranger to serving in an “Acting” role. He was designated by President Trump to serve as Acting FLRA Chairman — a position he held for most of 2017. 

Before joining the FLRA, Pizzella was Principal at Patrick Pizzella, LLC. In addition, he served as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Administration and Management at the Department of Labor from 2001 to 2009. In addition, he was designated by President George W. Bush to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation from January 2004 to April 2005. 

Pizzella previously worked at Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds, LLP as a Government Affairs Counselor from 1998 to 2001 and Director of Coalitions from 1996 to 1997. From 1990 to 1995 he was Director of the Office of Administration at the Federal Housing Finance Board, and from 1988 to 1989, Deputy Under Secretary for Management at the U.S. Department of Education. He also has held positions at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration and the General Services Administration. 

Pizzella takes over DOL at a critical time, as the agency has a number of retirement policy items on its regulatory agenda, including a year-end deadline to issue a new proposed rule in light of the 5th US. Circuit Court of Appeals’ 2018 ruling vacating the Obama-era regulation revising the definition of fiduciary.  Acosta had recently testified before Congress saying that the DOL is communicating with the SEC and that it would be issuing new rules that align with the SEC’s rule. 

Also on the DOL’s retirement-related agenda is a proposed rule to make it easier for small businesses to offer retirement savings plans to their workers through MEPs and guidance on improving and simplifying retirement plan disclosures, including the broader use of electronic distribution.