Former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the (sorta) pro-union Republican tapped by President Trump to lead the Department of Labor, is headed to a full Senate vote after testifying before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) last week, fielding questions from senators chiefly about her support for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
The HELP committee voted 13-9 in support of sending her nomination to the full Senate for confirmation. Democrat Sens. Tim Kaine, John Hinkenlooper, and Maggie Hassan voted in support of Trump’s nominee, while Republican Sen. Rand Paul voted against.
“If confirmed, my job will be to implement President Trump’s policy vision, 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,” she told lawmakers in her opening remarks at the hearing. “I also know that we will not always agree, but I promise there will never be surprises. My door will always be open, and I will never put my thumb on the scale.”
Chavez-DeRemer first gained notoriety following her nomination by the Trump administration since she was one of only three Republicans in the House of Representatives to cosponsor former President Biden’s stalled signature labor legislation, the PRO Act, which would have sought to make unionizing easier across the US, prohibit captive audience meetings, protect workers from retaliation, and raze state right-to-work laws that curb the power of collective bargaining in RTW states.
She told senators during the hearing that she supported the legislation as an Oregon lawmaker because those issues were important to the voters who put her in office.
Quick-to-read HR news & insights
From recruiting and retention to company culture and the latest in HR tech, HR Brew delivers up-to-date industry news and tips to help HR pros stay nimble in today’s fast-changing business environment.
“I know there has been a lot of conversation about my support of the PRO Act. Like President Trump, I believe our labor laws need to be updated and modernized to reflect today’s workforce and the business environment,” she said. “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 Fifth Congressional District. I recognize that that bill was imperfect, and I also recognize that I’m no longer representing Oregon as a lawmaker.”
Chavez-DeRemer told lawmakers she no longer supports the bill, gutting some of her support from the left, but ultimately winning over most RTW advocates in her own party on the committee.
“We have the opportunity to enact a new pro-American agenda, putting workers first. Over the last several weeks, Rep. Chavez-DeRemer demonstrated her commitment to this mission. If confirmed as Secretary of Labor, she committed to preserving states’ right-to-work laws ensuring Americans are not forced into unionization…Rep. Chavez-DeRemer committed to protecting independent workers and their flexibility to earn a living in this manner,” said committee chair Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.). “Now, Rep. Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination has the support of unions and businesses. If confirmed, she has the opportunity to bring these two groups together to secure a better future for all.”
Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination now moves to a full Senate confirmation vote in the coming weeks.
The committee followed the confirmation vote with a hearing considering the nomination of former EEOC Commissioner Keith Sonderling to serve as the Department of Labor’s deputy secretary.