Former Republican Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer was confirmed by the Senate to lead the Department of Labor in a bipartisan vote of 67 to 32 on Monday, marking the most bipartisan vote since the Senate confirmed Scott Bessent to be Secretary of Treasury in January.
Chavez-DeRemer had bipartisan support throughout the confirmation process. Backed by several Democrats in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee vote on Feb. 19, Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was the only Republican to vote against President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the department.
Paul’s decision stems from her congressional support of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act — a bill that would prohibit employers from permanently replacing striking workers, as well as ban offensive lockouts. The bill would also block state level laws that prevent employers and union workers from being forced to pay union fees as a condition of their employment.
The PRO Act is at odds with the Right To Work Act, which is sponsored by Paul and widely favored by Republicans because it supports workers’ rights to work in a unionized industry without paying fees to, or participating in, the union.
“I’m the national spokesman and lead author of the right-to-work bill. Her support for the PRO Act, which would not only oppose national right-to-work but would preempt state law on right-to-work — I think it’s not a good thing,” Paul told NBC News in January. “And it’d be sort of hard for me, since it’s a big issue for me, to support her.”
Chavez-DeRemer walked back her support for the bill during the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee hearing to consider her nomination, instead expressing the need for labor laws to be “updated and modernized to reflect today’s workforce and the business environment.”
“As a member of Congress, the PRO Act was the bill to have those conversations that mattered deeply to the people of Oregon’s 5th congressional district,” Chavez-DeRemer said in the committee hearing. “I recognize that the bill was imperfect, and I also recognize that I am no longer representing Oregon as a lawmaker.”
Chavez-DeRemer got her start in politics serving as mayor of Happy Valley, Oregon from 2011 to 2019 and later representing Oregon’s 5th congressional district from 2023-2025.
During the hearing, Chavez-DeRemer also mentioned strengthening the workforce by making childcare more accessible, adding to the vision many lawmakers have of flourishing working families.
Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley wrote an op-ed expressing his support for her nomination, writing she is the “realization of Trump’s pro-worker platform” and that her push for families to engage in the workforce will help rebuild America.
“Rebuilding America requires a flourishing family life. It means making it easy to have children, restoring parents as the pillars of home life, and making it our mission to ensure American workers can earn a family wage. The dignity of a decent job and a steady income is the first step,” Hawley wrote.
“This is exactly the kind of pro-worker, America-first labor policy voters wanted when they elected President Trump. Lori Chavez-DeRemer fits Trump’s vision. I’m proud to support his nominee. My colleagues should do the same.”
Almost ALL of the job “gains” during the Biden Admin went to *foreign* workers. If you want to help American workers, CLOSE THE BORDER.
Biden left American workers behind. President Trump and his Labor Secretary, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, will put American workers FIRST pic.twitter.com/ZSn3RDb3sk
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) February 19, 2025
Another lawmaker in favor of Chavez-DeRemer, Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, believes she is the ticket to enacting a “pro-America agenda.”
“The Biden administration used its authority as a weapon against workers, threatening their ability to earn a living and provide for their families. With President Trump back in office, we have an opportunity to enact a pro-America agenda at the Department of Labor that puts workers first,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Secretary Chavez-DeRemer is committed to this mission and ready to work with the HELP Committee to secure a better future for all workers.”
Chavez-DeRemer is also backed by multiple labor unions, including the Teamsters, with General President Sean M. O’Brien expressing support for her on Feb. 11.
“As the daughter of a Teamster, Lori Chavez-DeRemer knows the importance of carrying a union card and what it means to grow up in a middle-class household,” O’Brien said. “Working people need someone with her experience leading the agency that is tasked with protecting workers, creating good union jobs, and rebuilding our nation’s middle class. The Teamsters are grateful to President Trump for putting American workers first by nominating Rep. Chavez-DeRemer to this important role.”
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