March 10, 2025 — Today, the U.S. Senate voted 67-32 to confirm President Trump’s choice to lead the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a former mayor of Happy Valley, OR and former Republican member of the House of Representatives, is expected to be sworn in tomorrow (Tuesday, March 11) and begin her service at DOL immediately afterward.
“The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) congratulates Secretary Chavez-DeRemer and looks forward to working with her to support the public workforce system in their vital work to serve businesses and jobseekers alike,” said NAWB President and CEO, Brad Turner-Little. “Together, we will work to ensure that local workforce boards have both the resources and the flexibility to meet the unique needs of their communities.”
In Congress, Chavez-DeRemer was a member of the House Education and Workforce Committee and voted for the A Stronger Workforce for America (ASWA)—the House WIOA reauthorization proposal. She was also a member of the House Agriculture Committee, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Republican Main Street Partnership, Problem Solvers Caucus, Climate Solutions Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
At her confirmation hearing last month, Chavez-DeRemer noted that she supports Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) and would support reauthorization of the Workforce Opportunity and Innovation Act. When faced with questions about how the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been operating inside of DOL, she indicated that she would examine these efforts further once confirmed. While Chavez-DeRemer faced some skepticism from Committee Republicans due to her support for the PRO Act—legislation that would make it easier for unions to form and workers to organize—she largely addressed concerns raised during the hearing.
Chavez-DeRemer was formally nominated by President Trump on January 20, 2025, and was approved by the Senate Health Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on February 27, 2025, by a vote of 14-9. She will become the nation’s 30th Secretary of Labor.
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