On Monday, Chavez-DeRemer was confirmed by the Senate in a 67-32 vote, with 17 Democrats joining Republicans in supporting her appointment. However, three Republicans: Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Todd Budd (R-N.C.) voted against her confirmation.
McConnell explained in a statement that “the American people demand and deserve change after four years of economic heartache under the ‘most pro-union administration in American history.’ Unfortunately, Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s record pushing policies that force hard working Americans into union membership suggests more of the same.”
While in Congress, she was one of three Republican House co-sponsors of a sweeping pro-union bill called the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which aimed to expand labor protections for individuals to collectively organize and bargain in the workplace. However, she has since attempted to distance herself from the bill during her confirmation hearing last month, after some Republicans senators showed concerns.
Chavez-DeRemer served in the House from 2023 to 2025. She lost while running for re-election in 2024 against Janelle Bynum.
DeRemer’s vision for the DOL
Chavez-DeRemer will oversee federal laws and regulations related to unions and workplace conditions — such as minimum wage, occupational safety, and other labor-related issues. She also previously told senators that if confirmed as labor secretary, she will implement President Donald Trump’s vision of policy.
She stated last month that “my guiding principle will be President Trump’s guiding principle: ensuring a level playing field for businesses, unions and, most importantly, the American worker.” Employers should take steps to prepare themselves for a change in policy from the Biden era to the second Trump administration.