Labor News & Commentary January 17, Trump's picks face Senate confirmation hearings
https://onlabor.org/january-17-2025/
By Esther Ritchin
Esther Ritchin is a student at Harvard Law School.
In todays news and commentary, Trumps picks face Senate confirmation hearings, including Lori Chavez-DeRemer as Labor Secretary and Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary.
As many of Trumps cabinet picks face questioning in Senate confirmation hearings, Lori Chavez-DeRemers nomination for Labor Secretary stands out as less objectionable than his other choices. Professors Sharon Block and Benjamin Sachs examine Chavez-DeRemers track record and the implications of her nomination. While Trump has yet to make many appointments crucial to the fate of the labor movements, such as members of the NLRB, Chavez-DeRemers nomination indicates the possibility of bipartisan collaboration. However, Chavez-DeRemer has not had a consistently pro-labor message. As one reporter described, [a] spokesperson for the Trump transition, Aly Beley, told me that Chavez-DeRemer no longer supports the PRO Acta major shift that will disappoint Democrats but might help her secure the GOP support she needs to win confirmation. And, as Block and Sachs warn, the Republican vision for American labor policy is based on exclusion; the progressive vision is based on inclusion.
During his confirmation hearing, Trumps nominee for Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, expressed opposition to raising the federal minimum wage. Facing questioning from Senator Bernie Sanders, Bessent expressed that he believed minimum wage was a state and regional issue. Bessent also defended tariffs and extending tax cuts.