US President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of labor, Andrew Puzder, said in a statement on Wednesday that he has withdrawn his candidacy, Sputnik reported.
Puzder's confirmation hearing in the US Senate had been delayed five times, but was scheduled to take place on Thursday.
"After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor," the statement said.
Puzder, who has served as CEO of CKE Restaurants since 2000, was nominated for the post in December.
Since then, the president's pick has been criticized by American Federation of Teachers (AFT) that claimed that Puzder will work against the interests of workers in the United States, given his practices in the private sector. The organization noted that Puzder hired union-busting firms to prevent his own workers from forming unions.
Moreover, Puzder opposed the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, because it would require his businesses to provide quality healthcare to employees.
CKE Restaurants, a privately owned company based in California, is the parent of fast-food chains Carl's Jr. and Hardees. CKE has more than 3,000 franchised or company-run restaurants in the United States and other countries.