Overview

• The Senate received formal paperwork Tuesday confirming the withdrawal of Antoni’s nomination, according to multiple outlets citing White House and congressional sources.
• A White House official said a new candidate to head the BLS will be named soon, while declining to provide a reason for the move.
• Antoni faced scrutiny over reports tying him to an inflammatory social media account and his presence near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, as well as criticism of his qualifications and partisanship from economists.
• His path in the Senate appeared fragile, with no HELP Committee hearing scheduled and Republican moderates such as Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski seen as potential holdouts.
• Antoni had suggested pausing the BLS’s monthly jobs report in favor of quarterly releases, a stance that amplified concerns about politicizing federal economic data; the Heritage Foundation said he will return to his role there.