Washington — Former GOP Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer moved one step closer to becoming President Trump’s labor secretary after the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) voted Thursday to advance her nomination. The vote, which passed 14 to 9, included support from three Democrats, highlighting bipartisan backing for her confirmation.
While most Republicans on the committee supported Chavez-DeRemer, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the lone GOP member to vote against her, citing concerns over her previous support for pro-labor policies. Meanwhile, Democratic Sens. Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire), John Hickenlooper (Colorado), and Tim Kaine (Virginia) joined Republicans in favor of her nomination. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) did not initially vote but was later recorded as a “yes.”
Paul’s opposition stemmed from Chavez-DeRemer’s past support for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a pro-union bill she backed in the last Congress. While the bill did not advance, it would have strengthened workers’ rights to organize. During her confirmation hearing, Chavez-DeRemer addressed her stance, acknowledging the bill was “imperfect” and reaffirming her support for right-to-work laws, which allow employees to opt out of union membership.
With a narrow 12-11 Republican majority on the HELP Committee, Chavez-DeRemer required at least one Democratic vote to proceed to a full Senate confirmation. Hassan’s early support signaled that the nominee had the necessary votes, barring any unexpected opposition from GOP members.
Her nomination will now move to the Senate floor, where a final vote is expected in the coming weeks.