Washington, D.C. – Lori Chavez-DeRemer was confirmed by the US Senate as the U.S. Department of Labor Secretary under President Donald Trump on March 10, 2025. Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer recently served as Representative for Oregon’s 5th congressional district before being unseated by Janelle Bynum in the 2024 election. Now Secretary Chavez-DeRemer also formerly served as the Mayor of Happy Valley before being elected to congress. She was confirmed by a 67 to 32 vote with 17 Democrats voting for her confirmation. Some prominent Republicans voted against her confirmation including Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mitch McConnel (R-Ky.).
In her opening statement for the nomination hearing she highlighted the need to modernize labor laws to reflect today’s economy and expressed support for workforce development. “We must invest in educational pathways beyond the traditional four-year degree,” she stated. Chavez-DeRemer also promised to maintain an open-door policy, ensuring fairness and collaboration. Her goal is to create an economy where every American has access to good wages, safe working conditions, and a secure retirement.
The AFL-CIO President issued a statement following the confirmation. The President expressed cautious optimism about Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s confirmation as labor secretary, citing her past support for workers’ rights while voicing concerns about the administration she is joining. “We remain clear-eyed that she’s joining an administration that’s been openly hostile to working people,” the statement noted. The union praised her co-sponsorship of key pro-labor bills but urged her to push back against Project 2025 efforts to weaken worker protections. “More than ever, working people need someone at the Labor Department who will stand up to corporate bosses and billionaires.”
During the hearing Senator Rand Paul asked Chavez-DeRemer about the issue of right-to-work especially around her support of the PRO Act during her term in the US House. The Senator asked her if she still supported the PRO Act stating “the reason we want to know is this, a uh, a tremendous sort of invasion of the states’ rights to decide these. This would be overturning right-to-work laws in half the country.” Chavez-DeRemer replied that the right-to-work is a fundamental tenant of labor laws and that she no longer supports the aspect of the act that would have overturned right-to-work.
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