Key Takeaways
- Lori Chavez-DeRemer confirmed as U.S. Labor Secretary in bipartisan vote.
- Historic confirmation comes despite President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees often facing opposition.
- Protecting the Right to Organize Act, a key legislation, received bipartisan support from 17 Democrats.
Washington: U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed Lori Chavez-DeRemer, former Republican Representative from Oregon, as the Secretary of Labor.
The upper house approved the nomination by a vote of 67-32, with 17 Democrats in favor, indicating bipartisan support — which is rare for President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees. Three Republican Senators opposed her confirmation.
In 2022 midterm election, Chavez-DeRemer ran for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, which covers parts of central and southern Oregon, flipping the district for the Republican Party.
Chavez-DeRemer was one of just three Republicans who backed the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), a piece of legislation introduced in the previous Congress that aims to make it easier for workers to form unions.
The Labor Department is a government agency responsible for overseeing and enforcing federal labor laws and policies that affect the workforce, such as minimum wage, and health and safety standards.
Its Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports important economic data, including the unemployment rate and Consumer Price Index (CPI).
