Asked for her views on pro-labor legislation she backed as a House Republican, Lori Chavez-DeRemer said she would simply serve the president’s agenda.According to The New York Times, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, President Trump’s pick for labor secretary, faced tough questioning from both parties during her Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday. As a former Republican congresswoman, she was asked about her past support for pro-union legislation, specifically the PRO Act, which aimed to strengthen collective bargaining rights. Despite being a co-sponsor of the bill, Chavez-DeRemer stated that she would support the president’s agenda and that it was up to Congress to write laws, not the secretary of labor.
However, when pressed by Republican Senator Rand Paul about a portion of the legislation that he believed undermined “right to work” states, Chavez-DeRemer stated that she no longer supported that part of the bill. This caused some concern among Republican senators who have expressed opposition to her confirmation.
The hearing was attended by members of the Teamsters union, who were easily identifiable by their logo-emblazoned clothing. Chavez-DeRemer highlighted her personal connection to the union, stating that her father was a proud Teamster who worked for over 30 years.
The nomination of Chavez-DeRemer has been met with some controversy, as she is one of the few Republicans to support the PRO Act. Her stance on this issue could complicate her nomination, but she remains confident that she can serve as labor secretary and support the president’s agenda.
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