Republicans appeared to give their blessing to Trump’s pick for Labor Secretary, former Rep. Lori Chavez-Deremer (R-Ore.), during her confirmation hearing Wednesday despite her past pro-labor stances, which are atypical for a Republican candidate.
“You’re very uniquely positioned,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who had exchanged harsh words with Teamsters President Sean O’Brien in 2023 as labor activity surged across the country in the wake of the pandemic, told Chavez-Deremer.
“Coming from a very blue state — and being a Republican — that’s very heavily union, and you’ve been backed by the union[s], you have the support of a new coalition that President Trump has brought together,” he said.
During the hearing, Republicans fretted over Chavez-Deremer’s past support for the PRO Act, a piece of legislation backed by Democrats that checks the power of private management over workers and allows them to unionize more easily. Chavez-Deremer was one of only a few Republicans to support the bill.
Democrats expressed concern over firings at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which have left the labor watchdog without a minimum number of board members to continue working and enforcing labor laws.
They also criticized the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire rocket and car manufacturer Elon Musk. The unit has accessed sensitive Treasury Department payment systems in recent weeks, and Democrats were concerned that it could interfere with Labor Department data, which is the econometric bedrock of the U.S. economic performance, including information on prices, wages, employment and productivity
Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who worked with Chavez-Deremer during her time in the House, called her a “leader.”
“You are enormously qualified for this position,” he said.
Business groups had previously expressed alarm about Chavez-Deremer’s nomination.
“We were alarmed by press reports that President-Elect Trump is considering Rep. Chavez-DeRemer to lead the Department of Labor given her past support of the … PRO Act, which is a signature bill for President Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders and opposed by the vast majority of Republicans,” the pro-business Coalition for a Democratic Workplace said back in November.
Chavez-Deremer faced pressure from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) over her support for the PRO Act, but appeared to appease him after saying she no longer backs a provision in the bill that would have limited state right-to-work laws.
The Teamsters, who have been supporting Chavez-Deremer in the run-up to her confirmation hearing, put out another statement backing her last week.
“As the daughter of a Teamster, Lori Chavez-Derember knows the importance of carrying a union card,” the Teamsters said. “The Teamsters are grateful to President Trump for putting American workers first by nominating Rep. Chavez-Deremer to this important role.”
