President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Labor has resulted in head-scratching and opposition from some conservative figures and groups.
Trump announced last week that he has nominated Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) for labor secretary. While some Republicans offered their support for the choice, the pick has faced a bit of blowback because Chavez-DeRemer supports union legislation that Republicans vociferously oppose.
Grover Norquist, founder of the powerful low-tax advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform, told the Washington Examiner this week that Trump’s choice is “a little inexplicable.” He panned Chavez-DeRemer over her support for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.
He also pointed out her relatively short time in Congress. Chavez-DeRemer assumed office just last year and lost her reelection bid to Rep.-elect Janelle Bynum (D-OR).
“It’s very difficult to understand what the thought was — this is someone who lost her own election,” Norquist said. “So, she’s not exactly a political powerhouse that can help the president on anything.”
Despite the opposition from some on the Right, other prominent conservatives, such as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), have praised the pick. But among those who are confused about her pick, the heart of the opposition appears to be Chavez-DeRemer’s support for the PRO Act.
The legislation would enact sweeping changes to the employment landscape, including adjusting what kinds of workers can be classified as independent contractors. Corporations such as Uber might be compelled to place workers on their payrolls instead of just paying them for the services provided by drivers. Companies that rely on that business model heavily oppose the legislation.
Norquist said the PRO Act would be a “declaration of war” on the people who voted Trump into office. The president-elect courted the support of union members this election cycle, but Republicans are keen to point out that many of the card-carrying union members who voted for him are not aligned with their unions’ leadership.
“The union leadership is trying to kill Trump,” Norquist said. “Why would you give the union leadership power?
The act would essentially end right-to-work laws, which have been enacted in 27 states and stop unions from requiring that employees pay dues or fees. Employees who benefit from a collective bargaining agreement can be compelled to contribute to the union, according to the PRO Act.
It would also allow the National Labor Relations Board to impose new fines for labor violations and prevent employers from permanently replacing workers who engage in strikes. The act additionally makes it easier for unions to be formed by stopping companies from holding mandatory meetings to express opposition to unionization, among other provisions.
The Taxpayers Protection Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy group that generally prefers a smaller government and provides research and analysis on tax and spending policy, announced its opposition to Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination this week. The group called upon Trump to rescind the nomination and, if not, for the Senate to vote against her confirmation.
David McGarry, a policy analyst for the group, told the Washington Examiner that Trump’s selection of Chavez-DeRemer was “somewhat confusing.”
“One of the biggest efforts that conservative policy world has undertaken during the Biden administration was to push back on the sorts of policies that were found in the PRO Act,” McGarry said.
“The Republican Party has, for the majority of the last few decades, been very good about pushing back on unions’ attempts to collude with regulators to force pro-Big Labor policies down the throats of American workers, and installing one of the very few Republicans in Congress who did support the PRO Act at the Department of Labor is a quite the head-scratcher,” he added.
But by no means is there a unified Republican front against Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination. Some prominent conservatives have come out in support of her choice since it was announced.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) congratulated Chavez-DeRemer on social media and said he looked forward to working with her to “create better opportunities and bolster our economy.”
Johnson also congratulated her on being selected. The speaker said that as labor secretary, she will “fight for American workers and help restore the American dream.”
Some business groups have also thrown their weight behind Chavez-DeRemer. Jay Timmons, the president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, pointed out on social media that the congresswoman recently visited an NAM member company and “has seen firsthand the importance of pro-growth policies that support manufacturing workers and strengthen the industry.”
Still, Sean Higgins at the libertarian-leaning Competitive Enterprise Institute panned Chavez-DeRemer as being “unqualified” for the role of labor secretary. Higgins, an expert in labor and employment matters, pointed out her single term in office and that, before then, she was the mayor of Happy Valley, Oregon.
“It’s as close to almost picking a random person out of a crowd as I’ve ever seen in a Cabinet nominee,” he told the Washington Examiner.
Sean O’Brien, president of the Teamsters union, was reportedly one of the people pushing for Trump to choose Chavez-DeRemer. Notably, O’Brien addressed the Republican National Convention this year but declined to endorse the GOP nominee, despite internal polling showing that a majority of the union’s members supported him.
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O’Briwn praised Chavez-DeRemer’s selection for labor secretary after it was announced.
“Thank you [Trump] for putting American workers first by nominating Rep. Lori Chavez DeRemer for US Labor Secretary,” O’Brien said on X. “Nearly a year ago, you joined us for a [Teamsters] roundtable and pledged to listen to workers and find common ground to protect and respect labor in America. You put words into action. Now let’s grow wages and improve working conditions nationwide.”