Oregon’s Chavez-DeRemer Being Considered for Trump Administration’s Labor Secretary

During her 2024 congressional race, Rep. Chavez-DeRemer was endorsed by 20 labor unions.

U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.). Photo courtesy of Lori Chavez-Deremer.

Outgoing U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), who narrowly lost her reelection bid for Oregon’s Fifth Congressional District earlier this month, is being considered for the role of labor secretary in the incoming Trump administration.

The congresswoman will reportedly travel to Mar-a-Lago this week.

A spokesman for Chavez-DeRemer did not respond to multiple calls or emails on Nov 21 or Nov. 22; however, a member of the congresswoman’s Portland staff indicated that Chavez-DeRemer was “likely being considered.”

The congresswoman’s communications director, Aaron Britt, has reposted on X statements from multiple people endorsing her, including one by Teamsters President Sean O’Brien.

“As the general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, I wholeheartedly endorse her to serve as America’s next Labor Secretary,” O’Brien wrote.

During her two-year term in Congress, Chavez-DeRemer proved her support of labor as one of only three House Republicans to cosponsor the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2023, which would weaken state “right-to-work” laws to allow unions to collect dues from all employees, increase penalties for employers who violate labor law, and strengthen employees’ legal rights to join a union.

She also cosponsored the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, a bipartisan bill to guarantee that public safety workers have the right to collective bargaining, and joined Oregon’s Democratic delegation as a cosponsor of a bill that would allow tax deductions for paying union dues.

During her 2024 congressional race, Chavez-DeRemer was endorsed by 20 labor unions.

Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are advocating for Chavez-DeRemer as well, including Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.).

“Chavez-DeRemer would make a fantastic labor secretary,” Lawler wrote on X. “She understands the importance of having pro-growth, pro-labor and pro-business policies that support America’s workforce, respect organized labor and ensure shared prosperity.”

Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) also endorsed her.

“Americans deserve a Labor Secretary who will fight for the U.S. workers, create jobs, and cut bureaucratic red tape,” he wrote on X. “LCD is no doubt the right person for the job. She has proven her dedication to deliver our working families.”

Supporting the President’s Policies

Chavez-DeRemer has repeatedly expressed support for Trump’s policies.

During a September business roundtable, she lauded Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and expressed her concern about their impending expiration.

“We cannot afford to return to a tax system that punishes manufacturers for investing in the U.S.,” Chavez-DeRemer said during a September manufacturing roundtable in Clackamas, Oregon. “Congress must prioritize protecting jobs, ensuring economic stability, and keeping American manufacturing competitive.”

She endorsed Trump for reelection in March of this year.

During an Oct. 8 debate, Chavez-DeRemer supported Trump’s border policy as well, saying that the nation needs to secure its southern border to address illegal immigration, stop the flow of fentanyl, and ensure national security.

“Millions of people have come across our southern border and we don’t know who they are,” she said. “That includes people on the terror watch list, and it’s very concerning.”

On Nov. 19, Chavez-DeRemer took to X to praise Trump’s election victory.

“President Trump expanded on his Working Class coalition by speaking directly to hard working Americans,” she wrote. “This is a true political realignment. We must continue to be the party of the American Worker, with President Trump leading the way!”

In the weeks before the November election, high-profile Republicans stumped in the district for Chavez-DeRemer. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) visited Portland in August to support Chavez-DeRemer, who endorsed his bid for speaker in 2023.

When she spoke at the 10th Annual Reagan Dinner in Portland on Sept. 28, Chavez-DeRemer was joined by Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.).

Chavez-DeRemer served as mayor of Happy Valley, Oregon, before being elected to Congress in 2022. She and her husband, Shawn DeRemer, founded an anesthesia management company and several other medical clinics in the Pacific Northwest.