The Latest: Labor nominee Chavez-DeRemer faces questions from senators

Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a Happy Valley Republican and former Oregon congresswoman, is President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Labor. The daughter of a Teamsters member, Chavez-DeRemer has some union support but it’s unclear how much power she’ll have as Trump’s labor secretary. She faces questions Wednesday from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions as she seeks confirmation.

WATCH: Lori Chavez-DeRemer faces questioning from senators at her confirmation hearing

Here’s the latest:

Labor secretary nominee Chavez-DeRemer backtracks on right to work

At her hearing Wednesday, Chavez-DeRemer said that she no longer supported provisions of a labor bill that would overturn so-called “right to work” laws in states across the country.

While a member of the House, Chavez-DeRemer co-sponsored the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, an expansive bill that would make it far easier for workers to organize in workplaces in the country.

“Right to work” laws require that employees are allowed to refuse joining a union in their workplace. A section of the PRO Act would have overturned those laws.

Pressed by Republican senators, Chavez-DeRemer said she no longer supported that part of the bill.

“I fully fairly and support states who want to protect their right to work,” Chavez-DeRemer told Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

“So you no longer support the aspect of the PRO Act that would have overturned state right to work laws?” Paul directly asked.

“Yes sir,” Chavez-DeRemer responded.

Senators grill US labor secretary nominee on her past support of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act

Senators are grilling U.S. labor secretary nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer on her past support of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.

During her one term in Congress, Chavez-DeRemer was one of the few Republicans to support the legislation, which was aimed at making it easier for workers to unionize. It passed the House but didn’t gain traction in the Senate.

Chavez-DeRemer said she believes U.S. labor laws need to be updated and modernized to reflect today’s workforce and the nation’s business environment. She said the PRO Act was a way to start doing that when she represented Oregon’s 5th congressional district, but if she’s confirmed as labor secretary, it wouldn’t be up to her to write the laws.

“If confirmed, my job will be to implement President Trump’s policy vision,” Chavez-DeRemer said. “And my guiding principle will be President Trump’s guiding principle: ensuring a level playing field for businesses, unions and most importantly, the American worker.”

A comprehensive look at DOGE’s firings and layoffs so far

Thousands of federal government employees have been shown the door in the first month of Trump’s administration.

While there is no official figure available of the total firings or layoffs, the AP tracked how agencies are being affected.

Here are just some of the major infrastructure changes:

• 1. The White House offered a “deferred resignation” proposal in exchange for financial incentives to almost all federal employees
• 2. The Department of Veterans Affairs fired 1,000 employees who had served for less than two years
• 3. At least 39 people have been fired from the Education Department
• 4. Hundreds of federal employees tasked with working on the nation’s nuclear weapons programs were laid off, but that was largely rescinded hours later
• 5. The jobs of more than 5,000 probationary employees are on the line at HHS
• 6. The IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season, according to two people familiar

Read more about how federal agencies and employees are being affected by DOGE

Confirmation hearing for Trump’s Labor Department pick opens

The confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Labor Department has opened.

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions is set to question former U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer on Wednesday.

Unions have described the Republican from Oregon as pro-labor because of her voting record during her one term as a congresswoman.

The committee’s chairman, Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, said there are concerns about Chavez-DeRemer’s support of the PRO Act, legislation that would allow more workers to conduct union organizing campaigns and penalize companies that violate workers’ rights.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, asked if she would be “a rubber stamp” for anti-worker policies promoted by billionaires such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

OPB contributed to this Associated Press report.