Trump to nominate Lori Chavez-DeRemer for labor secretary

Washington — President-elect Donald Trump has announced his intent to nominate outgoing congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer to be secretary of labor.

“Lori’s strong support from both the business and labor communities will ensure that the Labor Department can unite Americans of all backgrounds behind our agenda for unprecedented national success – making America richer, wealthier, stronger and more prosperous than ever before,” Trump said in a statement.

Rep. Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) was elected to Congress in 2022, after serving as mayor of Happy Valley, OR, for eight years. In November, she was defeated in her reelection bid by Janelle Bynum.

During her stint in Congress, Chavez-DeRemer was one of three Republican co-sponsors of the labor-friendly Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2023, or PRO Act. She’s also one of eight Republicans to co-sponsor the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2024.

In a statement on X, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, who reportedly lobbied Trump to nominate the congresswoman, thanked him for “putting American workers first” by nominating Chavez-DeRemer.

O’Brien continued: “Nearly a year ago, you joined us for a @Teamsters roundtable and pledged to listen to workers and find common ground to protect and respect labor in America. You put words into action. Now let’s grow wages and improve working conditions nationwide.”

The AFL-CIO, which was led by Trumka until his death in August 2021, was more cautious in its statement. The labor federation acknowledged Chavez-DeRemer’s pro-labor record in Congress, but added: “Donald Trump is the president-elect of the United States – not Rep. Chavez-DeRemer – and it remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do as secretary of labor in an administration with a dramatically anti-worker agenda.

“Despite having distanced himself from Project 2025 during his campaign, President-elect Trump has put forward several cabinet nominees with strong ties to Project 2025. That 900-page document has proposals that would strip overtime pay, eliminate the right to organize, and weaken health and safety standards.

“The AFL-CIO will work with anyone who wants to do right by workers, but we will reject and defeat any attempt to roll back the rights and protections that working people have won with decades of blood, sweat and tears. You can stand with working people, or you can stand with Project 2025, but you can’t stand with both.”

The 119th Congress kicks off Jan. 3. Chavez-DeRemer would have a confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which will then be under Republican control.

The expected chair of that committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), wrote on X that he looks forward to speaking with Chavez-DeRemer about “her vision for DOL.”

He continued: “I will need to get a better understanding of her support for Democrat legislation in Congress that would strip Louisiana’s ability to be a right to work state, and if that will be her position going forward.”