Trump’s bipartisan-backed labor pick clears last hurdle before Cabinet confirmation

President Donald Trump’s Labor Secretary nominee, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, advanced past her last procedural vote on Thursday, teeing up a final confirmation vote next week. 

She is now one step closer to becoming the secretary of the Department of Labor, and she will face a final vote on Monday. 

She recently managed to get past the key Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) with bipartisan backing. There was initially some uncertainty whether her nomination would be reported out favorably, as Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., had pledged to oppose her. 

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Chavez-DeRemer ultimately received 14 votes to advance from the committee last month, with 9 senators opposing. 

She earned the votes of Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., in addition to nearly all Republicans, except for Paul. 

In a previous statement announcing her support prior to the committee vote, Hassan said, “The Department of Labor plays an integral role in supporting workers and small businesses alike, and after hearing significant support from constituents, including members of labor unions in New Hampshire, I will support Representative Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination as Secretary of Labor.”

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“Though we may not agree on everything, after meeting with Representative Chavez-DeRemer and listening to her testimony during her confirmation hearing, I believe that she is qualified to serve as the next secretary of labor, and I look forward to working with her to support New Hampshire’s workers and small businesses,” she continued.

After attending Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday, she told Fox News Digital she was “grateful” to have gotten some Democratic support in committee. 

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During her hearing, Chavez-DeRemer was questioned over her past support for the controversial Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would effectively kill state-level laws that bar employers and unions from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of their employment. Republicans have long opposed overturning such Right-to-Work laws at the state level. 

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Trump’s labor pick recently walked back her support for the policy as she was questioned by senators. “Like President Trump, I believe our labor laws need to be updated and modernized to reflect today’s workforce and the business environment,” she said during the hearing. 

“As a member of Congress, the PRO Act was the bill to have those conversations that mattered deeply to the people of Oregon’s 5th congressional district. I recognize that that bill was imperfect, and I also recognize that I am no longer representing Oregon as a lawmaker.”