Former Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Labor Department, threaded a needle on her past support for controversial pro-union legislation during a confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
Chavez-DeRemer, 56, was one of Trump’s few picks that has garnered praise among Democrats, in large part because while in Congress, she seemed sympathetic to organized labor and even co-sponsored the Protecting the Right to Organize, or PRO, Act — legislation that many in her party vociferously oppose.
During the hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Chavez-DeRemer repeatedly said she would carry out the president’s agenda when asked about her past support for the PRO Act. She didn’t wholly disavow her past support of it but did say she no longer supports certain aspects of it. She framed her past support of the bill as a way to have a seat at the table in updating and modernizing labor law.
“As a member of Congress, the PRO Act was the bill to have those conversations, conversations that matter deeply to the people of Oregon’s 5th Congressional District,” she told lawmakers. “I recognize that that bill was imperfect, and I also recognize that I am no longer representing Oregon as a lawmaker.”
“If confirmed, my job will be to implement President Trump’s policy vision, and my guiding principle will be President Trump’s guiding principle — ensuring a level playing field for businesses, unions, and, most importantly, the American worker,” Chavez-DeRemer said.
The PRO Act 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 payroll instead of just paying them for the services provided by drivers.
The act would also 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.
Chavez-DeRemer was specifically asked about her support for the part of the PRO Act that would jeopardize right-to-work laws.
“The right to work is a fundamental tenet of labor laws, where states have a right to choose if they want to be a right-to-work state, and that should be protected,” she said during a line of questioning from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).
“You no longer support the aspect of the PRO Act that would have overturned state right-to-work laws?” Paul asked.
“Yes, sir,” she responded.
Paul previously said he opposes Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination and recently told reporters that he expects 15 GOP senators to vote “no” on her nomination. But after her answer on Wednesday, Paul told CNN he would consider it.
Other Republicans on the committee used the opportunity to rail against the PRO Act. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the chairman of the HELP Committee, said the controversial legislation “is not pro-worker, it is pro-union.”
“To my mind, being pro-worker means defending the right of all workers, including those who decide they don’t want to join a union,” Cassidy said.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) also said that there is a provision in the PRO Act that would eliminate secret ballots in elections where workers vote on whether or not to organize and join a union. She said that the secret ballot “helps to protect workers from intimidation, pressure, and retaliation.”
Collins asked whether Chavez-DeRemer supports the elimination of secret ballots in union elections.
“I do not support that portion,” Chavez-DeRemer said. “Supporting the secret ballot is key.”
Chavez-DeRemer faced some pushback ahead of her confirmation hearing.
Advancing American Freedom, a group founded by Vice President Pence, released a letter last week outlining its concerns about Chavez-DeRemer. The letter, signed by the group’s president, Tim Chapman, and board chairman, Marc Short, criticized her support of the PRO Act.
“Conservatives have long supported right-to-work laws as an essential part of making America the world’s most powerful economic engine in the history of mankind,” the letter reads. “Conservatives are largely unified behind an agenda of lower taxes and deregulation. Unfortunately, Chavez-DeRemer’s record stands in stark opposition to President Trump’s plan to revive the American economy.”
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Trump tried to cultivate union support while on the campaign trail.
Sean O’Brien, president of the Teamsters union, was one of the people pushing for Trump to choose Chavez-DeRemer. He was in attendance at her Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.