The Senate voted on Monday to confirm Lori Chavez-DeRemer as the U.S. labor secretary, a vital Cabinet position that places her in charge of enforcing federally mandated worker rights and protections as the White House aims to reduce the number of government employees.
Chavez-DeRemer will lead the Department of Labor, one of several executive departments involved in lawsuits contesting the authority of billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to mandate layoffs and access sensitive government data.
The Labor Department, which had nearly 16,000 full-time employees and a proposed budget of $13.9 billion for fiscal year 2025, is responsible for key functions such as reporting the U.S. unemployment rate, regulating workplace health and safety standards, and addressing disputes related to minimum wage, child labor, and overtime pay. Additionally, it applies laws on union organizing and unlawful terminations.
Several prominent labor unions, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, have endorsed Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination. The former Republican congresswoman from Oregon has a Teamster background, and during her single term in the House, she earned a reputation as pro-labor.
The Senate confirmed Chavez-DeRemer with a vote of 67-32, with 17 Democrats supporting her and three Republicans opposing. The Senate has now confirmed nearly all of Trump’s Cabinet picks, with the Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions voting 14-9 in favor of her nomination last week. All Republicans except Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky supported her, while three Democrats—Senators John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire—joined the majority.
During her confirmation hearing before the committee, several Republican senators questioned Chavez-DeRemer about her decision to co-sponsor legislation aimed at making it easier for workers to unionize and penalizing employers obstructing organizing efforts. She refrained from explicitly stating whether she still supports the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, commonly known as the PRO Act.
Chavez-DeRemer explained that her co-sponsorship was intended to give her a voice in critical labor discussions. Under further scrutiny, she moderated her support for the bill, indicating that she backed state “right to work” laws, which enable employees to opt out of union membership in their workplaces.
The PRO Act did not receive a vote during her congressional tenure but was reintroduced in the House and Senate last week.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer remarked, “As we speak, Donald Trump and his billionaire allies are undermining the American dream for working families, manipulating every aspect of society in favor of the wealthy elite. That’s why we need the PRO Act, to empower hardworking Americans to negotiate for improved wages, benefits, and safer working conditions.”
While in Congress, Chavez-DeRemer also co-sponsored legislation protecting public-sector workers from having their Social Security benefits reduced due to government pension benefits. This bill, too, stalled due to insufficient Republican support.
Chavez-DeRemer navigated a delicate balance during her confirmation hearing, striving to appeal to both Democratic and Republican senators. Regarding the federal minimum wage, she acknowledged that it has not been raised from $7.25 an hour since 2009 but expressed concern about potentially “shocking the economy” with an increase.
