With the Senate confirmation hearing of fast-food CEO and secretary of labor nominee Andrew Puzder now imminent, the National Employment Law Project, along with 150 signatory organizations, has submitted a letter to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) requesting a full and rigorous hearing of Puzder.

“Whereas a limit of one round of questioning may have been appropriate for some nominees in the past, Mr. Puzder is not a traditional Cabinet-level nominee,” the letter reads.

“Unlike his recent predecessors, he does not have a long career in public service, nor a record of votes, speeches or actions on matters of public policy that accompany such a career. If confirmed, Mr. Puzder will hold an office that impacts virtually every working person in America. Members of the Committee must be able to evaluate his qualifications and fitness for this role. One round of questions will be insufficient for this formidable task.”

Addressed to HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), who will lead Puzder’s confirmation hearing, the letter is signed by a wide range of workers’ rights, human rights, racial and economic justice, and women’s rights organizations, among others, including labor groups across a broad swath of industries.

The document outlines the crucial role the secretary of labor plays in the lives of America’s workers, while arguing that Puzder’s personal commentary and his company’s history of labor violations call into question his ability to serve as their chief advocate. Along with requesting that HELP Committee members be allowed sufficient time to question Puzder, it also asks that the committee allow former employees of CKE Restaurants to testify on the working conditions they encountered in Mr. Puzder’s company.

“If Mr. Puzder is truly qualified and suited for the position of Secretary of Labor, he should welcome a thorough hearing in which he can try to put to rest the many valid concerns surrounding his nomination.”

“We urge you to reconsider your decision to limit questions posed to Mr. Puzder during his confirmation hearing. Perhaps more than any other Cabinet agency, the Department of Labor has a direct effect on the day-to-day lives of virtually all Americans. They deserve disclosure, transparency, and a chance to know the man who may be the next Secretary of Labor.”

Click here to read the full letter.