CNN
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President-elect Donald Trump threw a curve ball to business-friendly conservatives on Friday when he announced his selection of Republican Rep. Lori Chavez Delemer of Oregon to be the next Secretary of Labor.
Chavez Delemer, a favorite of Teamsters Chairman Sean O’Brien, is considered one of the most pro-worker Republicans in Washington and was one of the few Republicans to co-sponsor the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO). be. Bills that would repeal right-to-work laws in nearly 30 states and make it easier for workers to unionize are stalled in committee. A companion bill in the Senate was introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, a progressive from Vermont.
“With Lori’s strong support from both the business and labor communities, the Department of Labor will achieve unprecedented national success in our challenge to make America richer, richer, stronger, and more prosperous than ever before. Behind us, we can unite Americans of all backgrounds,” President Trump said in a statement.
O’Brien praised the selection Friday night, writing in a post on We are ready to cooperate with them.”
He also took a victory lap of sorts following his controversial decision to speak at this summer’s Republican National Convention and his union’s decision not to endorse him in the presidential race.
“Nearly a year ago, you joined the (Teamsters) roundtable and vowed to listen to the voices of workers and find common ground to protect and respect American labor,” O’Brien said of President Trump. ” he said. “You put your words into action. Now let’s raise wages and improve working conditions across the country.”
Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, whose vote could be crucial in confirming President Trump’s nominee, praised Chavez-Dellemer’s record.
“As the author of the PRO Act, I am pleased that Congressman Chavez Delemer is a co-sponsor of the bill I wrote with Congressman (Bobby) Scott,” Murray said in a statement. “We carefully evaluated Congressman Chavez Delemer’s qualifications leading up to the hearing and look forward to a thorough vetting process.”
Chavez Delemer lost reelection in Oregon’s 5th District earlier this month.
She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2022, helping set a record for Republican women in Congress at the time and becoming one of the first two Latina women to represent Oregon. A former mayor of the Portland suburb of Happy Valley, she and her husband founded an anesthesia management company.
The Ministry of Labor oversees worker protection programs, enforces labor standards, and ensures compliance with overtime laws, among other things. Under the new Trump administration, the agency is still expected to take more pro-business policies, but the president-elect’s selection to head it already means it has a strong appeal to conservative Americans like those seeking prosperity. This has prompted an angry response from groups.
AFP News Agency’s vice president for government affairs, Akash Chogule, was one of the most prominent conservative voices condemning the nominations and urging Senate Republicans to increase the number of nominations.
“Trump’s track record on labor policy was so strong that he didn’t overturn a single labor issue, but his support among union voters was still improving,” Chogle wrote on X. “He completely reversed that and undermined his own policies and movement by opting for teachers’ unions,” a hack for workers. Senate Republicans should reject this nomination. ”
Chávez Delemer could enjoy broad support among Democrats and also from labor unions that are typically aligned with the party.
The National Education Association, the country’s largest teachers’ union, immediately announced its support for Chávez Deremer.
“During her time in Congress, Lori Chavez Delemer voted against gutting the Department of Education, cutting tuition assistance programs, and cutting education funding,” NEA President Becky Pringle said in a statement. , and other pro-student, pro-public school and pro-worker bills,” he said, adding that Chavez Delemer’s profile was “clear.” Contrast that with Donald Trump’s anti-worker, anti-union history. ”
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, who voiced support earlier this week, also welcomed the decision.
“It is significant that the president-elect has nominated Rep. Chávez Delemer to the Labor Party. Her record suggests real support for workers and the right to unionize,” Weingarten said. He spoke at “I hope this means that the Trump administration will actually respect collective bargaining and the voices of workers, from Teamsters to teachers.”
President Joe Biden’s Department of Labor was initially headed by Marty Walsh, a former union leader and mayor of Boston. Civil rights attorney Julie Hsu has been acting director of the department since Walsh left in 2023 to take a role with the National Hockey League Players Association.
Alexander Acosta served as labor secretary for the first two years of President Trump’s first term. Andy Puzder, the then-CEO of the company that operates the fast-food chains Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., who was President Trump’s top choice, is facing an objection to his confirmation in the Senate. He was nominated when he withdrew his nomination following allegations.
Acosta, a former member of the National Labor Relations Board, resigned as a federal prosecutor in Miami after facing criticism for his role in negotiating a 2008 plea deal with Jeffrey Epstein. Acosta will be replaced as labor secretary by Eugene Scalia, the son of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who served as labor secretary during President Trump’s remaining first term.
This story has been updated with additional details.
