Senate Hands Trump a Major Victory with 67-32 Vote
With a decisive 67-32 vote, the Republican-led U.S. Senate confirmed Lori Chavez-DeRemer as Labor Secretary under President Donald Trump.
Seeking to weaken the Democratic Party’s long-standing alliance with organized labor, Trump selected Chavez-DeRemer for the role, emphasizing her background as the daughter of a Teamsters union member.
Only three Republicans—Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), Sen. Tedd Budd (N.C.), and former GOP leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.)—opposed her nomination. Meanwhile, she secured backing from seventeen Democrats, while Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) abstained from the vote.
On February 27, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee advanced Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination with a 14-9 vote.
Her confirmation marked the first time a prominent Trump nominee required Democratic votes for committee approval after Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) opposed her.
Joining the four Republicans on the committee, Democrats Tim Kaine (Va.), John Hickenlooper (Colo.), and Maggie Hassan (N.H.) cast their support with “yes” votes.
Paul’s opposition stemmed from Chavez-DeRemer’s previous endorsement of the Pro Act, which would expand organized labor’s influence and limit state-level anti-union laws.
Despite most Republicans and the business lobby opposing the bill, Chavez-DeRemer was one of only three House Republicans to support it during her single term in office.
Although Trump campaigned as a pro-worker candidate, his first-term appointments to the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board included individuals with anti-union records.
Under their leadership, several policies were enacted that critics argued harmed workers, including the rollback of overtime protections.
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien advocated for Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination.
“The Biden administration used its authority as a weapon against workers, threatening their ability to earn a living and provide for their families,” remarked Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chairman of the HELP panel, on Monday.
“With President Trump back in office, we have an opportunity to enact a pro-America agenda at the Department of Labor that puts workers first,” he added.
Last week, the Senate also confirmed Kelly Loeffler as head of the Small Business Administration in a bipartisan vote, increasing the number of Trump’s confirmed cabinet members to 18.
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined 51 Republicans in supporting Loeffler, securing her nomination with a 52-46 vote.
Republican Sens. Dan Sullivan (Alaska) and Jerry Moran (Kansas) did not vote, while 46 Democrats opposed the former Georgia senator’s confirmation.
“Loeffler will now lead the agency with a roughly $1 billion budget tasked with providing loans, grants, and financial coaching to small-business owners nationwide,” reported the New York Post.
Before being appointed to the U.S. Senate to complete the late Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term, Loeffler—who is estimated to be worth nearly $1 billion—served as an executive at Intercontinental Exchange, a financial services company.
Despite her strong support for Trump and campaign ads branding her as “more conservative than Attila the Hun,” Loeffler lost a runoff election in January 2021 to current Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Her husband, Jeff Sprecher, serves as chairman of the New York Stock Exchange and CEO of Intercontinental Exchange.
During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Small Business Committee last month, Loeffler pledged to assist Trump, 78, in ushering in a “golden era of prosperity and growth.” She outlined an agenda focused on “ending inflation, cutting taxes, unleashing American energy dominance, slashing regulation, and reining in fraud, waste, and abuse across government.”
According to The Post, she also vowed to donate her annual SBA salary of over $200,000 to charity, just as she did with her $174,000 Senate salary from 2019 to 2021.
“Sen. Loeffler is immensely qualified for this role,” stated Small Business Committee Chairwoman Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) in a floor speech last Thursday.
“As a successful businesswoman, it is abundantly clear that Senator Loeffler truly understands what it takes to be an entrepreneur and will be an effective voice for small businesses across America.”