Senate confirms Lori Chavez-DeRemer as Labor secretary

The Senate on Monday confirmed former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) to lead the Department of Labor, cementing another of President Trump’s nominees in bipartisan fashion. 

Senators voted 67 to 32, with 17 Democrats voted with most Republicans present. Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.) voted against her confirmation. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) did not vote.

Many Republicans see Chavez-DeRemer as a breath of fresh air after years of what they viewed as stifling regulations by the department under the Biden administration. Those include a rule going after independent contractors and Labor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.