WASHINGTON — A Republican-led Senate committee held a confirmation hearing Wednesday for President Donald Trump’s nominee for labor secretary, Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
"In every role, my priority has been clear: to fight for the American worker and the business that drive our economy," she said in her opening remarks.
Chavez-DeRemer, a former congresswoman from Oregon who served one term, is an unconventional pick for a GOP president. She supported a bill called the PRO Act, a top priority of labor unions, and is endorsed by the Teamsters Union.
“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,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien, who spoke at the Republican National Convention last year, said in a statement. “The Teamsters are grateful to President Trump for putting American workers first by nominating Rep. Chavez-DeRemer to this important role.”
Several of the senators' opening questions zeroed in on the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act of 2023, which Chavez-DeRemer co-sponsored in the House.
The bill aimed to promote unions' ability to organize, alter independent contractor classifications and weaken so-called right-to-work laws in states. “Right-to-work” laws are often characterized as guaranteeing employees do not have to join unions or pay union dues as an employment condition.
Chavez-DeRemer addressed her support for the PRO Act during her opening statement, saying the bill provided a way to have conversations about needed updates to labor laws.
“I recognize that that bill wasn’t perfect, and I also recognize that I am no longer representing Oregon as a lawmaker,” she said. “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.”
Multiple senators questioned her about her current position on the bill. Chavez-DeRemer said she “fully” supported states that “want to protect their right to work.”
“So you no longer support the aspect of the PRO Act that would’ve overturned state right-to-work laws?” asked Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has said he would not support Chavez-DeRemer's nomination.
“Yeah,” she said quietly, moving to expand on her answer before Paul cut her off.
“That’s a yes?” he asked.
“Yes,” she confirmed.
Later, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., asked Chavez-DeRemer about whether Elon Musk should have access to labor violation investigations. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has sought internal government data.
"I have not been read in on any of this, and if confirmed, I commit to taking a deeper look and working with your office and any other office on this issue," she said.
Pressed further, she said that "the president has the executive power to exercise it as he sees fit," adding that she "will serve at the pleasure of the president on this issue."
Chavez-DeRemer also faced a question from Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., about her previous work at Planned Parenthood and where she stood on abortion. NBC News reported last week that Chavez-DeRemer worked at a Planned Parenthood clinic in her early 20s.
“I am supportive of the president’s agenda,” she said. “I have a 100% pro-life voting record in Congress, and I will continue to support the America-first agenda, which we know includes life.”
Chavez-DeRemer's profile has landed her in hot water with multiple Senate Republicans, who strongly oppose the PRO Act and have cast wary eyes on her.
“I’m not going to support her,” Paul told NBC News in late January. “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 pre-empt state law on right to work — I think it’s not a good thing.”
Paul predicted last month that she will lose 15 Republican votes. He is on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which held Wednesday’s hearing. The GOP has an 11-10 majority on the panel, which means that if Paul votes against her, Chavez-DeRemer would need Democratic votes to get a favorable committee vote.
And for now, Democrats are keeping their powder dry.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who introduced Chavez-DeRemer at the hearing, predicted that Senate GOP leaders would hold a floor vote even if Paul sinks her in committee.
“She’s wonderful,” he said, adding that while Paul is “a hard no,” he is the only Republican currently in that camp. “He has a right to have his opinion on it. What he may not understand is this is President Trump has grown our party. He’s brought in the unions.”
“She also made it very clear she’s there serving at the will the president of the United States, and it’s his policies that she’s going to put forth,” Mullin said Tuesday. “We’re not going to agree on every issue, but you know, my wife and I been married 27 years, and we still don’t agree on every issue. But you can work past those and still have a good relationship.”
Senate Republican leaders have not said whether Chavez-DeRemer will get a floor vote if she fails in committee.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the ranking member of the HELP Committee, listed several of Chavez-DeRemer’s previous positions that he appreciated at Wednesday’s hearing.
"I have reviewed your record, and in many respects, especially given the nature of the nominees that Mr. Trump has brought forth, it is very good," he said, pointing to her co-sponsoring the PRO Act and her position on union issues.
Sanders added that she would have to “make a choice.”
“Will you be a rubber stamp for the anti-worker agenda of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and other multibillionaires who are blatantly anti-union, they don’t make any bones about it, or will you stand with working families all over the country?” Sanders said in his opening remarks.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who chairs the committee, said Republicans — including him — find some of her past positions “problematic.” But he said that will not be the deciding factor for him.
“Put it this way: She’s taking the direction from the president, not from her previous voting record,” he said recently.
