The hearing comes after her nomination was announced with support from Teamsters Union President Sean O’Brien, which was first reported by Politico.
Below are some takeaways from Thursday’s Senate hearing.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) — who chairs the Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee — set the tone for the hearing during his opening remarks, questioning Chavez-DeRemer’s support of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act when she was in Congress.
The PRO Act was introduced in 2021 and expands labor protections for employees’ right to organize in the workplace.
While Sen. Cassidy said the former congresswoman could bridge issues between labor unions and businesses if confirmed, he noted, “There are concerns, however, about your past support for the Democrats’ cornerstone legislation, the PRO Act.”
“Workers should have the freedom to decide if they wish to join a union or not,” Cassidy said. “The PRO Act would eliminate this freedom, allowing workers to be coerced and intimidated into unionization.”
“I now understand that your co-sponsorship of the PRO Act did not reflect your support of the legislation, but rather your interest in being part of any group that legislated on employees’ rights,” Cassidy added before opening the Senate floor to Chavez-DeRemer to read her opening statement.
“I know there has been a lot of conversation about my support of the PRO Act,” Chavez-DeRemer said. “Like President Trump, I believe our labor laws need to be updated and modernized to reflect today’s workforce and the business environment. As a member of Congress, the PRO Act was the bill to have those conversations – conversations that matter deeply to the people of Oregon’s Fifth Congressional District. I recognize that that bill was imperfect. And I also recognize that I am no longer representing Oregon as a lawmaker. If confirmed, my job will be to implement President Trump’s policy vision and my guiding principle will be President Trump’s guiding principle: ensuring a level playing field for businesses, unions, and most importantly, the American worker.”
When asked by Sen. Cassidy if she still supports the legislation, she explained, “I recognize I’m no longer the lawmaker and I do not believe that the secretary of labor should write the laws. It will be up to Congress to write those laws and to work together. What I believe is that the American worker deserves to be paid attention to — that was President Trump and I’s conversation and supporting the American worker, how important that is.”
Chavez-DeRemer added that she respects “right to work” states, referencing some states where employees do not have to join a union as a condition for employment.
Ranking committee member Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) continued to press Chavez-DeRemer about whether she still supports the bill to which she responded, “I support the American worker.”
“I don’t mean to be rude,” Sen. Sanders interjected, “I’m gathering that you no longer support the PRO Act is what I hear, that you support the American worker – that’s what everybody will say.”
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) piled on to the PRO Act questioning, arguing that the legislation would overturn right-to-work laws in a handful of states, before asking if she still supports the bill.
“The right to work is a fundamental tenant of labor laws where states have a right to choose if they want to be a right to work state and that should be protected,” Chavez-DeRemer said. “I signed on to the PRO Act because I was representing Oregon’s Fifth District, but I also signed on to the PRO Act because I wanted to be at the table and have those conversations, but I fully and fairly support states who want to protect their right to work.”
Sen. Paul then clarified in his questioning that the labor secretary does not support a provision in the act that would have overturned right-to-work laws.
During his round of questioning, Sen. Sanders asked Chavez-DeRemer if she supports efforts to increase the federal minimum wage, which sits at $7.25 per hour, according to the Department of Labor.
“Ranking Senator Sanders, you know that is an issue for Congress to determine raising the minimum wage. As the secretary of labor, I cannot weigh in on that, that’s determined by Congress if they want to negotiate that,” Chavez-DeRemer responded.
Sanders pressed for an answer on her opinion of the federal minimum wage, before she replied, “I do recognize the minimum wage hasn’t been raised since 2009 and the cost of living has gone up, but again, I cannot sit here and determine what that wage will be fully and fairly, I will enforce the law. It will be up to Congress to determine.”
“For instance, in Oregon, I know that in Portland, Oregon, the minimum wage is almost $16 an hour and that might work for Portland but that’s not going to work for Grants Pass, Oregon,” Chavez-DeRemer continued. “And I know that local communities, states determine what’s best for their economy. What we don’t want to do is shock the economy.”
Some committee members focused their questions on whether she will support appropriations laws, which comes after the Trump administration ordered a federal funding freeze — impacting services from Head Start to Medicare across the U.S.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) asked, “I heard from a workforce training program that operates statewide about whether they’ll now be able to continue to pair workers with employers in the grocery industry. You should know that the chaos surrounding these funding freezes is real damage to people’s lives. So, I want to know, will you commit to following appropriations laws in the Impoundment Control Act?” — referring to a 1974 law allowing the president the temporarily impound funds appropriated by Congress in certain circumstances if the president notifies Congress.
Chavez-DeRemer responded, “I do respect the Appropriations Committee, as a former member of Congress, I think everyone in this room who has ever sat behind that dais can understand that. Again, the president of the United States has the power to determine what he’s going to do through this executive power. I have not been confirmed,” Chavez DeRemer said, adding “I will always follow the law and the Constitution.”
“If you receive a directive to violate appropriations laws and withhold funding for workers, what will you do?” Sen. Murray questioned.
“I do not believe the president is going to ask me to break the law. One hundred percent,” Chavez-DeRemer said.
The Washington senator turned her questioning towards White House advisor Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency’s access to sensitive Labor Department data, raising insider trading concerns as Musk owns several companies including X — formerly Twitter, Neuralink, and SpaceX.
“Elon Musk is 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. “Do you believe it is appropriate for someone with such blatant conflicts of interest to have access to those confidential economic and personal information?”
“I would protect the private information. On this issue, I have not been privy to those conversations with the president. If confirmed, I will commit to you to always protect the Department of Labor and those issues,” Chavez-DeRemer vowed.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) echoed Sen. Murray’s concerns, saying, “Elon Musk is right now the subject of several OSHA investigations, multiple companies are subject to multiple investigations – his rocket company has an injury rate that’s about nine times higher than the industry average.”
Murphy asked, “will you commit to denying access to Elon Musk or any of his representatives to information about labor violations at OSHA or any other information about labor violation investigations at the Department of Labor?”
Chavez-DeRemer explained, “I have not been in these conversations. I’m not confirmed. I only see what has happened possibly on the news and so forth. The president has the executive power to have his coalition of advisors determine what’s best for the American people. He made a promise to the American people that he was going to do these things and check into what is happening. Other than that, I have not been read in on any of this and if confirmed, I commit to taking a deeper look and working with your office and any other office on this issue.”
Murphy continued, “If the president asks you to give access to information to benefit a friend of [President Trump] pending his investigations, you wouldn’t say ‘No’?”
Chavez-DeRemer said she does not think President Trump’s cabinet picks are “yes-men and yes-women,” noting the cabinet positions act as advisors to the president.
She added, “I am not an attorney, I would certainly consult with the Department of Labor solicitors, I would certainly consult with the White House and their attorneys, but until I am confirmed for the Department of Labor, I will not be able to say specifically to this without having the full picture before that.”
Following Chavez-DeRemer’s hearing, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a statement announcing he will vote against her nomination.
“As a proud supporter of the PRO Act that would empower Oregonians and all Americans to unionize and advocate for fair wages, benefits and working conditions, I took special note of Lori Chavez DeRemer’s bizarre disavowal today of her previous support for this vital legislation,” Wyden said. “Her reversal is blatantly anti-worker and calls into question whether she’d be anything more than another tool of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. But her troubling flip-flops didn’t stop there. Just months after telling Oregon voters she was pro-choice, she also told senators today she’s anti-abortion. I will vote against her confirmation.”
If Chavez-DeRemer is confirmed, the one-term congresswoman would be in charge of the 16,000 full-time employees in the labor department along with the proposed $13.9 billion budget for the 2025 fiscal year, as reported by The Associated Press.
Chavez-DeRemer will need to face a full Senate vote to be confirmed as labor secretary.
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