Senators on both sides of the aisle grilled Lori Chavez-DeRemer, President Donald Trump’s pick to run the Department of Labor, over her past support of a union-friendly bill, her thoughts on Elon Musk’s "Department of Government Efficiency" and other issues impacting American workers in her Feb. 19 confirmation hearing.
Facing questions from members of the Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee, Chavez-DeRemer, a one-term Republican congresswoman from Oregon who lost her bid for re-election in November, walked back her support of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, or Pro Act, a bill aimed at making labor organizing easier. She was one of three Republicans to co-sponsor the bill in the last congressional session, but the Pro Act didn’t advance in the Republican-controlled House.
The first three senators to ask Chavez-DeRemer questions at the hearing asked whether she still favors the Pro Act, and each time she said it’s up to Congress to make the laws and she simply wants to help American workers as Labor secretary.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the committee’s ranking member, said he took that response to mean she no longer supports the bill.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has publicly said Chavez-DeRemer’s past support of the Pro Act means he won’t support her nomination, was the third lawmaker to ask Chavez-DeRemer about her current position on the bill.
“I signed onto the Pro Act because I was representing Oregon’s 5th District, but I also signed onto the Pro Act because I wanted to be at that table and have those conversations, but I fully, fairly support states who want to protect their right to work,” Chavez-DeRemer said in response.
“So you no longer support the aspect of the Pro Act that would have overturned state right-to-work laws?” Paul countered.
“Yes, sir,” Chavez-DeRemer answered.
There are 23 members on the Senate HELP Committee and Chavez-DeRemer needs a majority to support her nomination so it could then be considered by the full Senate. If Paul doesn’t vote for her, then she would need to pick up at least one vote from one of the committee’s 11 Democrats or independents.
Following a question from Sanders, Chavez-DeRemer said she supported the bill Democrats passed in 2021 to establish the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.’s Special Financial Assistance Program, which is designed to shore up struggling multiemployer pension plans through 2051.
To date, the PBGC has approved about $70.9 billion in SFA to plans that cover about 1.3 million workers, retirees and beneficiaries.
Democrats on the committee also asked Chavez-DeRemer how she would handle a request from Trump to not spend money Congress has already appropriated. She responded, “I do not believe the president is going to ask me to break the law.”
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., then raised concerns about Musk’s "Department of Government Efficiency" gaining access to sensitive DOL data.
“Elon Musk is now in a position to use his unelected role to use confidential government data to advance his own corporate interests while suppressing his competitors,” Murray said.
Chavez-DeRemer said since she’s not at the DOL or in government, she has not been part of any discussions to grant Musk access to DOL data.
“I would protect the private information,” she added. “On this issue, I have not been privy to those conversations.”
The HELP Committee has yet to schedule a vote on Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination.
