The US Senate confirmed Lori Chavez-DeRemer as the labour secretary in Trump administration on Monday. In this role, she will enforce federally mandated worker protections whilst the White House aims to reduce government staff numbers.
She will lead the Department of Labour, which is involved in legal challenges regarding Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency’s authority over redundancies and data access.
The Labour Department, with nearly 16,000 full-time staff and a proposed budget of $13.9 billion for fiscal year 2025, has extensive duties. These include publishing unemployment figures, workplace safety regulation, investigating wage disputes, and enforcing laws on union organisation.
Major labour unions, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, supported Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination. A former Republican congresswoman from Oregon and a Teamster’s daughter, she developed a pro-labour reputation during her House term.
The Senate approved her nomination 67-32, making her among the last of Trump’s Cabinet confirmations.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labour & Pensions voted 14-9 for her nomination. All Republicans except Sen. Rand Paul supported her, alongside three Democrats: Sens. John Hickenlooper, Tim Kaine and Maggie Hassan.
During committee hearings, Republican senators questioned her about co-sponsoring legislation supporting worker unionisation and penalising resistant employers. She avoided directly addressing her stance on the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), explaining her co-sponsorship as a means to participate in labour discussions. She later affirmed support for state “right to work” laws.
Chavez-DeRemer also supported legislation protecting public-sector workers’ Social Security benefits from pension-related reductions. Regarding minimum wage, she acknowledged its stagnation at $7.25 since 2009 but expressed concerns about economic impact.
Democratic senators have raised concerns about her independence under President Trump’s administration, which has terminated numerous federal employees.
