Labor secretary nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer a step closer to confirmation

Washington — Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination for labor secretary has advanced out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, after a 14-9 vote Feb. 27.

Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined 11 Republicans to send Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination to the full Senate. 

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who expressed his disapproval of the nomination before Chavez-DeRemer’s Feb. 19 confirmation hearing, was the lone Republican to vote no.

Paul’s opposition reportedly was based, in part, on the former House representative’s co-sponsorship of the pro-labor Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2023, also known as the PRO Act. Chavez-DeRemer, elected to the House in 2022 to represent Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, was one of three Republican co-sponsors of the bill.

She tried to distance herself from the PRO Act during her confirmation hearing. “I’m no longer the lawmaker,” she testified multiple times.

“Like President (Donald) Trump, I believe our labor laws need to be updated and modernized to reflect today’s workforce and the business environment,” she said in her opening statement. “As a member of Congress, the PRO Act was the bill to have those conversations – conversations that matter deeply to the people of Oregon’s 5th Congressional District.

“I recognize that bill was imperfect, and I also recognize that I’m no longer representing Oregon as a lawmaker. If confirmed, my job will be to implement President Trump’s policy division and my guiding principle will be President Trump’s guiding principle: ensuring a level playing field for businesses, unions and, most importantly, the American worker.”

At press time, no date had been set for a full Senate vote.