Hearings to examine the nomination of Lori Chavez-DeRemer, of Oregon, to be Secretary of Labor.

Committee on Education

2025-02-19

Source: Congress.gov

Summary

Lori Chavez-DeRemer appeared before the committee for her nomination as Secretary of Labor, engaging in a hearing that covered a wide array of labor policy issues and her past record.[ 00:20:11 ] Discussions included her previous co-sponsorship of the PRO Act, the impact of federal policies on workers and businesses, and the administration's approach to labor agencies.

Themes

The PRO Act and Right-to-Work Laws

A significant portion of the hearing addressed Chavez-DeRemer's past co-sponsorship of the PRO Act, a piece of legislation designed to strengthen unions, which raised concerns among some Republican senators due to its potential impact on independent workers and right-to-work states.[ 00:20:50 ] Chavez-DeRemer clarified that her co-sponsorship was an effort to engage in conversations about employees' rights, not an endorsement of the bill's specifics, especially its implications for right-to-work states.[ 00:21:43 ] She affirmed her support for states' rights to maintain right-to-work laws and clarified that she no longer supports aspects of the PRO Act that would undermine these state laws. The nominee committed to examining Department of Labor (DOL) guidance on joint employer rules to provide clarity for small businesses and support independent contractors' flexibility and access to benefits.

Minimum Wage

The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour was a point of contention, with Senator Sanders questioning its adequacy for a living wage in today's economy. Chavez-DeRemer stated that determining the minimum wage is a congressional responsibility and, if confirmed, she would fully and fairly enforce the law while providing data to aid congressional decisions.[ 00:45:36 ]

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 She acknowledged that the minimum wage has not increased since 2009 and that the cost of living has risen, but reiterated that local economic conditions vary significantly, making a one-size-fits-all federal approach challenging.[ 00:46:41 ]

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National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and Other Federal Agencies

Concerns were raised about the independence and functioning of federal agencies like the NLRB and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), particularly after President Trump's actions regarding board members and funding freezes. The nominee committed to following the law and the Constitution, even if directed to act otherwise, and asserted her belief in the importance and constitutional authority of independent agencies.[ 00:51:22 ]

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 Senators also questioned her stance on special access to sensitive DOL data, particularly for individuals like Elon Musk, given his companies' ongoing investigations. Chavez-DeRemer stated she would protect private information and examine such issues if confirmed, but she deferred to the president's executive authority regarding advisors' access.[ 00:54:25 ]

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Immigration and Child Labor

The discussion included the impact of both legal and illegal immigration on the American workforce. Concerns were voiced regarding the influx of illegal immigrants and their potential effect on wages and job availability for American workers, as well as the abhorrent exploitation of trafficked children in labor. Chavez-DeRemer committed to prioritizing the American worker, ensuring strong border policies, and aggressively combating child labor exploitation by prosecuting offending companies and strengthening penalties. She also supported legal immigration programs, like H-2B visas, to address specific labor shortages while ensuring they do not displace American workers.

Workforce Development and Skills Training

A recurring theme was the need to invest in educational pathways beyond traditional four-year degrees, emphasizing registered apprenticeships, vocational training, and upskilling/reskilling programs. Chavez-DeRemer expressed strong support for expanding registered apprenticeships, noting her experience as a former mayor working with community colleges and businesses to address workforce needs, particularly in rural areas.[ 01:02:22 ]

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 She highlighted her past work on reauthorizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and committed to working with Congress to further invest in a skilled American workforce.

Worker Protection and Benefits

The nominee committed to protecting workers from unsafe conditions, ensuring they receive earned wages, and aggressively enforcing labor laws against violators, including those involved in child labor. While supporting the Butch Lewis Act to protect retirement benefits, Chavez-DeRemer indicated that paid family and medical leave is a matter for congressional determination and state discretion.<citation data-id="26.1" data-id="28.1" data-209.1" data-id="209.2" data-id="213.1"> She emphasized a vision where all American workers have opportunities for good wages, safe conditions, and a secure retirement, aligned with President Trump's "America First" agenda.

Tone of the Meeting

The hearing was characterized by a highly partisan and at times contentious tone, with senators from both sides of the aisle pressing the nominee on her policy positions and alignment with President Trump's agenda.[ 00:19:31 ] Republican senators generally focused on the nominee's commitment to President Trump's "America First" labor policies, supporting businesses, and addressing concerns about union overreach and the impact of illegal immigration.[ 00:20:03 ] Democratic senators, led by Ranking Member Sanders, expressed skepticism about her commitment to worker protections, particularly her nuanced stance on the PRO Act and her willingness to challenge the Trump administration on issues like agency independence and funding freezes. Despite these partisan divides, there were moments of bipartisan consensus on issues such as the importance of apprenticeships, skills training, and preventing child labor exploitation. Chavez-DeRemer maintained a poised and consistent approach, often reiterating her commitment to following the law, advising the president candidly, and prioritizing the American worker while deferring to Congress on legislative matters.

Participants

Transcript

Representative Chavez de Rimmer, thank you for appearing before the committee and for meeting with me and others over the past several weeks.   The Committee on Labor has the responsibility to fairly enforce the nation's labor laws, unbiased towards one or the other.  The Biden-Harris administration weaponized their authority against workers on behalf of Democrats' political supporters.  They eroded the flexibility of over 27 million independent workers, threatening their ability to provide for their families in the manner in which they chose.   They also attempted to dismantle the franchise model, employing over 9 million workers and empowering Americans from all communities to become successful business owners.  The American people rejected these anti-worker policies at the ballot box.  With President Trump back in office, we have the opportunity to turn the page and enact a pro-America agenda, empowering workers, securing economic prosperity.  If confirmed as Secretary of Labor, I look forward to working together   to accomplish this shared mission.  Your nomination has support from both unions and businesses.  You're in a unique position to build a bridge between these two groups to benefit all workers.  With potential labor disputes on the horizon, I'm sure these relationships will be an asset to the Trump administration.  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.  The PRO Act would eliminate this freedom   allowing workers to be coerced and intimidated into unionization.  I represent a right to work state.  This protects workers from forced unionization.  This is, of course, therefore deeply important to me.  I appreciated our conversations on this issue.  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 behalf of employees' rights.
I'm sure you will have the opportunity to explain your position and the Trump administration's position and agenda moving forward during this hearing.  Thank you again for being here.  I look forward to understanding your vision for the Department of Labor and how we can work together, empowering all workers and unleashing the American economy.  With that, I yield to Senator Sanders.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Ms.  Chavez-Durima, for being with us.  And let me begin by thanking the Biden administration for being the most pro-worker administration in the modern history of this country.   The mission of the Department of Labor is, quote, to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States, improve working conditions, advance opportunities for profitable employment, and assure work-related benefits and rights, end quote.  That is the mission of the Department of Labor.  And it is a mission that is more important now, in my view,   than it has ever been.  Mr. Chairman, for the past 50 years, our economy has been doing extraordinarily well.  Never, ever done better for the people on top.  Top 1% right now is enjoying wealth and power in a way that has never existed in the history of America.   We now have the absurd situation, the disgraceful situation, where three people, Mr. Musk, Mr. Zuckerberg, and Mr. Bezos, are now worth over $900 billion.  That is more wealth than the bottom half of American society, 170 million people.  Is that really what America is supposed to be about?   In America today, Mr. Chairman, we have more income and wealth inequality than we have ever had.  Over 60% of our people, as we speak right here, 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.  I grew up in a family living paycheck to paycheck.  That ain't easy.
Stress level, enormous.   People trying to find out how they're going to get health care, how they're going to pay their rent, how they're going to feed their kids, which is one of the reasons why working class people die six years shorter lives, live six years shorter lives than the people on top.  Given all of this reality of an economy that's working well for the billionaire class, but not for working families.   We need a labor secretary who, in fact, is going to be a champion of working families.  Not be ambiguous about it, but stand up for the working families of our country.  We need a labor secretary who understands that we must raise the minimum wage.  Now, $7.25, federal minimum wage.  Anybody think that anybody anywhere in America can live on $7.25 an hour?

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