Why Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Trump's labor pick, is rattling conservatives
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Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
President-elect Trump's pick for Labor secretary, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), appears to be a genuine union supporter and that's freaking out some business groups and conservative advocates.
Why it matters: Trump campaigned as a pro-worker and somewhat pro-labor candidate — though he was a decidedly anti-union president in his first term.
- This pick is a marked change — and a win for Teamsters president Sean O'Brien who pushed for Chavez-DeRemer.
Between the lines: The nomination, part of Trump's "messy coalition," is a sign that O'Brien's decisions to speak at the Republican National Convention and to refrain from endorsing a presidential candidate are already paying off.
Catch up fast: The daughter of a Teamsters father, Chavez-DeRemer served just one term in the House — she lost a close race in November.
- She was one of just three Republicans to co-sponsor the Pro Act, a bill reviled by conservative groups, most Republicans and the business lobby.
Perhaps most controversially, the bill would hold companies accountable for workers they don't directly employ.
- For example, McDonald's would be responsible for workers at its franchises. Or Uber for its drivers. The first Trump administration reversed a similar rule. (Intriguingly, Chavez-DeRemer voted for a resolution to overturn a Biden effort to revive it.)
State of play: Business groups and Republican lawmakers want to know where she stands on the Pro Act now.
- "That's going to be the issue she's going to have to answer for," in meetings with lawmakers, says Matthew Haller, CEO of the International Franchise Association.
- Meanwhile: Others quickly condemned her, including the Wall Street Journal and several conservative advocates on X.
Not all Republicans are wary: "President O'Brien was a strong voice in a chorus that includes many Republicans eager to ensure the GOP acts in the interests of working people, not just corporations and financial elites," Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz tells Axios.
- Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) was among a few GOP lawmakers who encouraged Trump to go with Chavez-DeRemer, according to Deniz and a source familiar with the process.
- Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) advised her on how to play the situation, another source familiar told Axios.
- Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called her a "great pick!" on X.
Reality check: Trump's first term was staunchly anti-labor, and union groups today aren't holding their breath for a 180 — putting out cautious statements of support that call out Trump's positions in his first term.
- "Donald Trump is the President-elect of the United States — not Rep. Chavez-DeRemer — and it remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do," AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler said in a statement.
What to watch: How the incoming administration treats public-sector unions as it tries to slash the size of the federal workforce.
Axios' Juliegrace Brufke contributed reporting
