GOP scrambles to save Trump's labor nominee

Senate Republican leaders are scrambling to salvage the confirmation ofDonald Trump's nominee to run the Labor Department in the wake of stalled hearings, staunch Democratic opposition and the surprise news that he once hired an illegal immigrant.

Republicans have set a cooling off period of sorts for Andy Puzder, the burger chain CEO Trump nominated in December to become Secretary of Labor.

Puzder's nomination has languished over missing paperwork, and he admitted Monday that he employed an illegal immigrant as a housekeeper for five years but fired her, and only later paid back taxes.

Democrats already had their sites set on Puzder because he is a critic of raising the minimum wage, among other issues. They have labeled him anti-labor and hope to trip him up in confirmation hearings as they did during their questioning of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, a school-choice advocate whose confirmation they nearly derailed before she was approved in the Senate on Tuesday, thanks to the tie-breaking vote from Vice President Pence.

GOP leaders are now trying to avoid a similarly tough road for Puzder by postponing his hearing until all of the required paperwork is completed by the Office of Government Ethics.