On April 27, the Senate confirmed R. Alexander Acosta as the new secretary of Labor. He was sworn in the next day. Acosta succeeds Thomas E. Perez, who served in the position under President Obama from 2013 to 2017. Previously Acosta served in three presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed positions: as a member of the National Labor Relations Board in 2002, assistant attorney general for the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice in 2003, and U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida from 2005 to 2009. Most recently, he was dean of Florida International University College of Law. Following Acosta’s confirmation, the chairman of the Senate labor committee, Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., stated that the new labor secretary “can now begin his work to create a better environment to help more workers succeed in the rapidly changing workplace.” Acosta was nominated for the position by President Trump in February. See for a discussion of Acosta's possible priorities for occupational health and safety.