Former CKE Restaurants CEO Andy Puzder: Business Optimism Under Trump Boosting Jobs

Puzder says rising confidence since Trump's election has had an immediate effect. “There is tremendous optimism in the business community," Puzder told FOX Business Network's Stuart Varney. "There hasn’t been this kind of optimism in maybe eight, ten years. And you saw the consumer confidence hit a high it hasn’t been at since 2009 recently, so consumer confidence is up, businesses are optimistic, more people are working, more people are employed.”

But Puzder warned Republicans still need to repeal and replace ObamaCare and achieve tax reform to keep up the positive momentum. “We need to get tax reform done and ObamaCare but we’re heading in the right direction.”

Tax reform and ObamaCare are still on the table with Trump calling for House Republicans to vote next week on an ObamaCare replacement. Puzder believes it will happen, but cautions Republicans to avoid mistakes.

“We’ve got some people in the House of Representatives that need to wake up.  We’re now the ruling Party.  We’re the party that has to govern and you can’t govern if you give up the good because you’re trying to achieve the perfect.”

When Varney asked if the Freedom Caucus has listened to the criticisms and is willing to be more flexible in an effort to pass something on health care, Puzder said, “I do think that. I think President Trump handled it very well.”

Puzder said Trump’s threat to deal with Democrats on health care was effective as well. “I think that’s going to wake the Freedom Caucus up a little bit,” he told Varney, noting the potential pitfalls for GOP legislators should they fail to fulfill their promise of repealing and replacing ObamaCare.

“These guys are up for election every two years, they know if they go home and they haven’t done what they promised they would do for the past eight years, which is get rid of ObamaCare, or at least make changes in that direction, they’re not going to be reelected.”