While some senators are already skeptical of one of Donald Trump’s latest cabinet picks, House Republicans are ecstatic to see another one of their own chosen to serve in the administration — even if she’s far more pro-union than most GOP lawmakers.
On Friday, Trump nominated Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to be secretary of labor. And already, there are some GOP senators questioning the decision.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, the soon-to-be chairman of the committee overseeing Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination — the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee — almost immediately cast doubt on Trump’s decision.
“I look forward to speaking with Chavez-DeRemer about her vision for DOL,” Cassidy said in a post on X. “I will need to get a better understanding of her support for Democrat legislation in Congress that would strip Louisiana’s ability to be a right to work state, and if that will be her position going forward.”
Trending
Cassidy referred to Chavez-DeRemer’s cosponsorship of the PRO Act, which would make it easier for workers to unionize. The Oregon Republican was one of only three GOP cosponsors of the bill. More broadly, Chavez-DeRemer has strong union support, most notably from Teamsters President Sean O’Brien.
Those labor connections seemed to appeal to Trump. But for House Republicans, Chavez-DeRemer’s connections to them seemed to matter most.
Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota called Chavez-DeRemer a “home run pick” by Trump and said she is one of the “most talented members of the House.”
(Chavez-DeRemer was first elected to Congress in 2022 from a battleground district in Oregon and narrowly lost reelection this year.)
Similarly, Rep. Dave Joyce of Ohio told NOTUS that “Americans deserve a labor secretary who will fight for U.S. workers, create jobs and cut bureaucratic red tape.”
Joyce emphasized that Chavez-DeRemer is “no doubt the right person for the job.”
Another House Republican who lost a tough reelection battle this year, Rep. Marc Molinaro, was just as praising of the pick.
“President Trump has assembled a cabinet meant to reignite our economy, fulfill his mandate for change and make America affordable again,” Molinaro told NOTUS. “Lori will help meet this mission. She’s a thoughtful, driven and down-to-earth leader. I couldn’t be happier for her and glad President Trump is fighting for American workers!”
Chavez-DeRemer’s selection potentially gets another House Republican into the administration without shrinking the House GOP’s narrow margin. Trump quickly selected Rep. Elise Stefanik to serve as ambassador to the United Nations and Rep. Mike Waltz to serve as national security adviser. When the president-elect went before House Republicans two weeks ago, he said he was cognizant of the slim majority and wouldn’t select any more current House GOP lawmakers.
(Later that day, Trump announced he was picking Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general — a selection that quickly imploded but not before Gaetz had resigned from Congress.)
A spokesperson for the Trump transition team said Chavez-DeRemer has been “a remarkable advocate for both business and labor, and her background as a small-business owner and congresswoman will help unite Americans behind President Trump’s agenda to make America richer, wealthier, stronger and more prosperous than ever before.”
But the GOP doesn’t exactly have a storied history of union support. When Chavez-DeRemer was nominated, labor union leaders cautiously praised her.
“Lori Chavez-DeRemer has built a pro-labor record in Congress, including as one of only three Republicans to cosponsor the Protecting The Right To Organize (PRO) Act and one of eight Republicans to cosponsor the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement.
“But Donald Trump is the President-elect of the United States — not Rep. Chavez-DeRemer — and it remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do as Secretary of Labor in an administration with a dramatically anti-worker agenda,” she continued.
But as Trump and Republicans court historically Democratic, working-class voters — many of whom resonate with Trump’s economic message — the GOP has shifted toward being more welcoming of union voices. House Republicans told NOTUS making inroads with that community was another reason why nominating Chavez-DeRemer made sense.
“I’ve had a history of working with labor, especially the Teamsters, as has President Trump,” Rep. Tim Burchett told NOTUS. “I think it’s genius on President Trump’s part. She is a wonderful person and a very conscientious member of Congress.”
Rep. Derrick Van Orden, another staunch Trump supporter, told NOTUS he believes Trump’s decision to nominate Chavez-DeRemer was a “great choice” because he believes the Republican Party is “the party of workers” and putting her in this position will further confirm that.
“She’s tough, man,” Van Orden said. “She’s going to fight for the American worker.”
Despite the House support, it’s the Senate that will ultimately decide Chavez-DeRemer’s fate.
The Senate already has its hands full with a slate of more controversial nominees, and Trump’s labor pick is widely expected to be a smoother confirmation process than, say, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
But Cassidy’s skepticism is an early indication of potential trouble, though at least one Trump loyalist in the upper chamber is already celebrating the pick.
“Donald Trump beat Kamala Harris in the election because he had the backing of working people. Now his mandate is to pass an agenda that delivers for them,” Sen. Josh Hawley told Punchbowl News. “Congressional Republicans need to get over their love affair with corporate America and wake up to who their voters are.”
—
Reese Gorman is a reporter at NOTUS.
Author
