Alexander Acosta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander Acosta
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Official portrait, 2017
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| 27th United States Secretary of Labor | |
| In office April 28, 2017 – July 19, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Patrick Pizzella |
| Preceded by | Tom Perez |
| Succeeded by | Eugene Scalia |
| Dean of the Florida International University College of Law | |
| In office July 1, 2009 – April 28, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Leonard Strickman |
| Succeeded by | Antony Page |
| United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida | |
| In office June 11, 2005 – June 5, 2009 |
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| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Marcos Jiménez |
| Succeeded by | Wifredo A. Ferrer |
| United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division | |
| In office August 22, 2003 – June 11, 2005 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Bradley Schlozman (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Wan J. Kim |
| Member of the National Labor Relations Board | |
| In office December 17, 2002 – August 21, 2003 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | William Cowen |
| Succeeded by | Ronald Meisburg |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Rene Alexander Acosta
January 16, 1969 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Jan Williams |
| Education | Harvard University (BA, JD) |
Rene Alexander Acosta (born January 16, 1969) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 27th United States Secretary of Labor from 2017 to 2019. The Secretary of Labor is in charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, which helps workers and businesses.
President Donald Trump chose Acosta to be Labor Secretary on February 16, 2017. The U.S. Senate approved his nomination on April 27, 2017.
Acosta is a member of the Republican Party. President George W. Bush appointed him to several important roles. These included serving on the National Labor Relations Board and as a top lawyer for civil rights. He also worked as a U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Before becoming Labor Secretary, he was a dean at Florida International University College of Law. Hispanic Business Magazine has twice named him one of the '50 most important Hispanics'.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alexander Acosta is the only son of immigrants from Cuba. He grew up in Miami, Florida, where he went to the Gulliver Schools. He was the first person in his family to go to college.
Acosta studied economics at Harvard College, earning a bachelor's degree in 1990. He then went to Harvard Law School and earned his law degree in 1994.
Career Beginnings
After law school, Acosta worked for a judge named Samuel Alito from 1994 to 1995. This job is called a law clerk. He then joined a law firm in Washington, D.C., called Kirkland & Ellis. There, he focused on legal issues related to jobs and workers.
While in Washington, Acosta also taught law classes. He taught about employment law, civil rights law, and laws against unfair treatment based on disability.
In 2013, Acosta became the chairman of U.S. Century Bank. This was a large Hispanic community bank in Florida. Under his leadership, the bank made a profit for the first time since the Great Recession.
Government Roles Under President Bush
Alexander Acosta held four important jobs during the George W. Bush administration. These jobs required approval from the U.S. Senate.
From 2001 to 2002, he was a top lawyer in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. From 2002 to 2003, he was a member of the National Labor Relations Board. This board handles issues between workers and their employers.
On August 22, 2003, he became the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. He was the first Hispanic person to hold this position.
U.S. Attorney for Southern Florida
In 2005, Acosta was appointed as the U.S. attorney for Southern District of Florida. In this role, he focused on stopping healthcare fraud. His office successfully prosecuted many people involved in healthcare fraud. These cases involved billions of dollars in false claims.
Law School Dean
On July 1, 2009, Acosta became the second dean of Florida International University College of Law. As dean, he helped create a special program for students to learn about banking rules. This program focused on preventing illegal money activities.
Secretary of Labor
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President Donald Trump announced on February 16, 2017, that he would nominate Acosta for Secretary of Labor. Acosta was the first and only Hispanic person in Trump's cabinet at that time.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a hearing for Acosta on March 22, 2017. The committee then approved his nomination.
On April 27, 2017, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Acosta as Secretary of Labor. He was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence on April 28, 2017.
Key Initiatives as Secretary
As Secretary of Labor, Acosta supported apprenticeship programs. These programs help people learn job skills through on-the-job training. He believed apprenticeships could help close the "skills gap" in the workforce.
On June 15, 2017, President Trump signed an order to expand apprenticeships. This order created a special task force led by Acosta. The task force worked to find ways to create more apprenticeship opportunities.
Following the task force's report, the Department of Labor launched new initiatives. They created a new system for industry-recognized apprenticeships. They also launched Apprenticeship.gov. This website is a central place for information about apprenticeships. The Trump administration aimed to create one million new apprentices.
In 2019, Acosta suggested reducing funding for the International Labor Affairs Bureau. This agency works to stop child labor and forced labor around the world.
Acosta resigned from his role as Secretary of Labor on July 19, 2019.
Recognition and Service
Alexander Acosta has been recognized for his work. Hispanic Business Magazine named him one of the nation's 50 most influential Hispanics twice.
He has also served on several important commissions. These include the Florida Innocence Commission and the Florida Supreme Court's Commission on Professionalism. In 2008, he was named one of the 100 most influential people in business ethics.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2017
See also
In Spanish: Alexander Acosta para niños
