Senate Democrats Have a Dilemma With Trump’s Labor Nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer

A month ago, the moderate Republican could have gotten near-unanimous support. Now, it’s possible she won’t make it out of committee.

Lori Chavez DeRemer

Republican Lori Chavez DeRemer speaks at a debate with Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District at Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Steve Dipaola/AP

On paper, Lori Chavez-DeRemer looked like she would be Donald Trump’s best shot at unanimous approval in the Senate.

The labor secretary nominee was one of the most moderate Republicans during her single term in Congress, representing a swing district in Oregon before she was voted out of office in November. She was one of the most outspoken in her party for unions, one of three lawmakers in the GOP to cosponsor the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which would strengthen collective bargaining rights. And even Democrats concede she was probably the most liberal choice Trump was ever going to make to lead the Department of Labor.

But in the lead-up to her expected confirmation vote in a week, it’s likely Chavez-DeRemer will receive only a few — and possibly no — votes from Senate Democrats.