Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has indicated he would be a “No” vote on Donald Trump’s most troubling nominee: former OR Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Trump tapped the one-term congresswoman for Labor Secretary, perhaps due to her record of siding with unions against the wishes of franchisers, small businesses, and independent professionals.
As one of three Republican sponsors of the unpopular PRO Act and courting labor unions in her re-election campaign, Chavez-DeRemer was clearly making her bed with pro-union interests to the detriment of the American worker.
As I wrote in November when the nomination was first announced:
Now that Chavez-DeRemer has lost her congressional seat, she is in the perfect position to inflict more damage. Many freelancers see her as O’Brien’s Trojan horse to influence the resurrection of the PRO Act and to see the regulatory version embodied in the Biden-Harris final independent contractor rule enforced. As a freshman congresswoman, Chavez-DeRemer was a co-sponsor of the PRO Act and another piece of legislation that are a direct attack on independent professionals. This gives a window into how she could potentially head the U.S. Department of Labor.
This definitive “No” from Paul and the potential that more Republicans will also side with him, gives those of us who have opposed Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination from the beginning a bit of hope.
GOP Sen. Rand Paul tells me he’s a NO on Trump nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer for labor secretary, citing her support for the PRO Act. He says she could lose 15 more Republicans (and win some Democrats).
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) January 27, 2025
The fact that more than one news source has commented on Paul’s remarks increases confidence.
NEW: Rand Paul says he WON’T support Trump’s Labor Secretary nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
“I think she’ll lose 15 Republicans and she’ll get 25 Democrats. I mean, she’s very pro labor. She might get all the Democrats. Who knows.”
— Ryan Schmelz (@RyanSchmelzFOX) January 27, 2025
However, Trump seems to have hit the mark with his nomination as deputy labor secretary. Keith Sonderling meets all the high points in terms of his experience in the Trump 45 Department of Labor, as well as his record of weighing toward pro-business and pro-independent frameworks against union overreach.
“With his close relationships to the business community and his preference for a deregulatory framework, Sonderling will complement Chavez-DeRemer’s labor-friendly disposition to help achieve the policy objectives of the second Trump administration,” said the management-side law firm Littler.
Thank you @realDonaldTrump for nominating me as Deputy Secretary of Labor, @USDOL. I am thrilled for the opportunity to work with @LChavezDeRemer, on your vision to create opportunities for workers and help restore the American dream for working families. pic.twitter.com/QriRHv7aty
— Keith Sonderling (@KSonderling) January 15, 2025
It reflects on the poor quality of Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination that Paul stated she could lose 15 other Republicans. It is clear from Chavez-DeRemer’s X timeline that she has been working hard to win the HELP committee over. Despite Paul’s assessment, this is no guarantee that her confirmation will fail.
Thanks to the Democrat and Republican squishes on the committee, she will pass out of HELP handily, and as Paul further alleged, she could well win all 47 Democrat senators because she is so pro-union. While Republicans still hold the majority in the Senate, 15 members unwilling to vote in favor of Chavez-DeRemer is not a significant enough number to tank this pick. Independent professionals, small businesses, and franchisers must continue to raise our voices against this nominee, as we still have our work cut out for us.
