The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Feb. 27 advanced Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination for Labor secretary in a 13-9 vote.
Three Democrats joined with Republicans to send Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination to the full Senate for consideration.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the lone Republican to vote against her nomination. Paul had signaled his apprehension toward Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination because of her past support of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, or Pro Act, a bill aimed at making labor organizing easier. Chavez-DeRemer, a former Republican congresswoman from Oregon who lost her bid for re-election in November, 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.
During her confirmation hearing Feb. 19, Chavez-DeRemer walked back her support for the Pro Act.
While in Congress, Chavez-DeRemer split with most Republicans on the House Education and the Workforce Committee when she voted against a resolution to overturn a Biden administration Labor Department rule concerning fiduciary investment advice.
But in 2023, she supported a resolution to overturn a different Biden administration DOL rule — one that permits retirement plan fiduciaries to consider climate change and other environmental, social and governance factors when selecting investments and exercising shareholder rights.
A vote on Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination in the full Senate has yet to be scheduled.
Separately, President Donald Trump earlier this month nominated Daniel Aronowitz to lead the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration. A confirmation hearing for Aronowitz has yet to be scheduled.
