attention. one of our hill producers sent us this. with senators continuing deba today on the senate g.o.p. 2025 budget resolution, president trump on t social this ing called on both chambers to "pass the house budget to kick-start the reconciliation process." you can follow all the senate on c-span2. and that is going to be it for us today. we will see you again tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern. thanks, everybody, for watching. we're going to take you directly over now to that senate hearing with lori chavez-deremer, president trump's nominee to serve as labor secretary. here it is. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2025] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org.]

>> representative chavez-deremer, thank you for appearing before the committee and meeting with me the committee on labor has a responsibility to fairly enforce the makes's labor laws unbiased towards one or the other the biden harrison administration weaponized their authority against workers on behalf of democrats political supporters. they eroded the flexibility of

over 27 million independent workers, threatening their ability to revive for their families for the manner in which they chose. they also attempted to dismantle the franchise model employing over nine million workers and empowering americans to become successful business owners the american people rejected the policies at the ballot box. with president trump back in office, we have the opportunity to turn the page and enact that pro america agenda, empowering workers, securing economic prosperity. if confirmed as secretary of labor, i look forward to accomplish this shared mission. your nomination has support from both unions and businesses you're in a unique position to build a bridge between these two groups to benefit all workers with potential labor dispute on the horizon, these relationships will be an asset to the trump administration. there are concerns about your past support for the democrats cornerstone legislation, the

pro-act. workers should have the freedom to decide if they wish to join a union or not. the pro act would eliminate this freedom and intimidated into unionization. i represent a right to work state. this protects workers from forced unionization. this is of course, therefore, deeply important to me. i appreciated our conversations on this issue. i now understand that your co-sponsorship of the proact did not reflect your support of the legislation. i am sure you will have the opportunity to explain your opposition and the trump administration's position and agenda moving forward during this hearing. i look forward to understanding your vision and how we can work together empowering all workers and unleashing the american economy. with that, i yield to senator sanders. >> thank you.

ms. chavez-deremer, it's a pleasure to be with us. let me begin with the biden administration to be the most pro worker in the modern history of this country. the mission of the department of labor is enforce the promote and -- job seekers and retirees of the united states, improve working conditions, advance opportunities for profitable employment and assure work-related benefits and rights. that is the mission of the department of labor. and it is a mission that is more important now in my view, than it has ever been. mr. chairman, for the past 50 years, our economy has been doing extraordinarily well. never, ever done better for the people on top.

top 1% right now is enjoying wealth and power in a way that has never existed in the history of america. we now have the absurd situation, the disgraceful situation where three people, mr. musk, mr. zuck berg and mr. bezos are now worth more than $9 billion. is that really what america is supposed to be about? we have more income and wealth inequality than we ever. have over 60% of our people, 60% of americans are living paycheck to paycheck. i grew up that family living paycheck to paycheck. that ain't easy. stress level, enormous.

people trying to find out how they're going to pay their kids? which is one of the reasons why working class people live six years shorter lives than the people on top. given all of this reality of an economy that's working well for the billionaire class but not for working families, we need a labor secretary who is going to be a champion of working families, not be ambiguous about it but stand up for the working families of our country. we need a linebacker secretary that understands we need to raise the minimum wage. anybody think that anywhere in america can live on $7.25 an hour? we need a labor secretary who work each receiver and day to make it easier, not harder for workers to exercise their

constitutional right, to form a union and collectively bargain for that wages benefits in better working conditions. we need a labor secretary to understand once and for all that the disastrous right to work laws in 28 states by repealing section 14-b. we need a linebacker that understands that we must end the international embarrassment of america being the only major country on earth that does not guarantee paid family and medical leave. or paid sick days. we need a labor secretary secretary that understands that women earning less than men. ms. deremer, i have reviewed your record, it is very good.

you are one of the few republican members of congress who co sponsored the pro act and the public service freedom to negotiate act to make it easier for workers to form unions. you have been a defender of union apprentice sip programs. but here is my concern. if you are confirmed, you will not only be in charge to have enforcing more than 180 labor laws that are on the books today, you will be the president's chief labor advisor. that's what you'll be. when it comes to labor policy you will have to make a choice.

will you be rubber stamp who are blatantly anti-union or will you stand with working families all over the country? so that is really the main issue. it's not just your record. this is a very unusual administration in my view. we are moving towards an thornan society where one person has enormous power. will you have the courage to say mr. president, that is unconstitutional. that's wrong. i will not stand with you? with that, i look forward to hearing what you have to say and thanks for being with us. >> and now to introduce the nominee, senator mullen. >> thank you, mr. chairman. before i read the opening statement, i just want to point out the unique coalition that president trump has built here. we could take tulsi gabbard or bobby kennedy and now lori. you know the last time sean and i were in this room together, we

had our differences. and berny, i think you remember that well. but somehow, we were able to put our differences aside because president trump asks us to. you got to remind yourself he also lost labor vote by 59% because it wasn't working. lori represents someone that is uniquely positioned to bring people like sean and i who presented lori to president trump and said this is someone that we can work together with. and i would hope that you would set your bias opinions to the side and understand that this is a negotiation between two

fractions of the party of saying we're willing to work together. employees don't exist without employers and companies don't exist without employees. and i rec niece that -- recognize that as much as anybody. and there is a position where we can be at, that we can find a negotiated agreement, where we can set some differences aside like the pro act. my position on that has been very clear. unions thrive in oklahoma city. and at the same time, we can find common ground. lori represents that. so regardless of what you might think about the president, understand that this is someone that everybody should represent. and should respect. if you're looking for a bipartisan independent thinker

that's going to represent the union, that you want mr. sanders to say that she represent, when you understand that you have a president that's representing the republican party but also won the popular vote. you would think this is someone that you would be very happy. because she is directly uniquely positioned in the center. and i truly say that from a position that i've had to move a long ways. and if i can move, and if sean and i can move and come together on this, then that is nothing else, should set some type of example. even though i do joke with my new friend over here which i have the mic and he can't defend himself over here. that if we had a relationship, i would be the man in the relationship. he adamantly dnc that. [laughter] but i say that because now we're

friends and we can make fun at each other and at the same time, we work together. i want to say this from my heart. so, chairman cassidy, thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts and support for the nomination for lori to be secretary of labor. things have gotten contentious and partisan but one thing that both sides of the pete carroll agree on is supporting working class americans that power our country's economy. it sakes both sides to be at a boat rowing together in the same direction to be successful. i'm only moderately successful because i have to the fortunate -- i've been very fortunate.

to from employees that was willing to get on the boat with me and row in the same direction. with lori's unique background as a small business owner, public ser rant and through her relationship with union leaders, she has the ability to bridge the gap between businesses and workers. lori's nomination reflects a coalition of working class americans and elected that president trump to a second term in the white house. as a member of congress, she often worked across the aisle in her effort to support this cause. one of those issues is the pro act has been mentioned a couple of times. i get it. oklahoma's a proud right to work state. and yet, we still support lori. as both sides of the table can continue to work together for hard-working americans who have been struggling to put food on the table and to create better opportunity for themselves, their children and grandchildren, i don't think we

have to look any farther than understanding lori is an independent non-partisan perspective who will always keep the workforce the top of mind. and i would really encourage all of you need to take a hard look just like sean and i have done. so with that, i yield back. >> thank you, senator mullin. representative chavez-deremer. you have a statement and you are going to along the way introduce your family. ms. chavez-deremer: it is an honor to anticipate before you as president trump's nominee to lead the department of labor. my discussions with many of you have been insightful and inspiring, reinforcing my commitment to serve our nation's workforce under president trump's bold leadership following his historic november victory.

i am uniquely prepared to lead this department with resolve and purpose. before i begin, i want to take a moment to honor the incredible people who have supported me throughout my 24-year journey in public service, my parents, who became ardent fans of c-span when i entered congress. are here today, offering their unwavering support. my twin daughters, emily and annie. emily was here last week and i know with the postponement, she couldn't come back she's 36 weeks pregnant, lives in michigan and her doctor said no more flying. so emily, i know you're watching and i know you support me here today. and annie, one's democrat and one's a republican. and they have been any steadfast defenders, teaching me patience and the value of an open mind. and my loving husband, sean, my high school sweetheart, who has stood by my side through any triumph and challenge, to all of you, thank you. thank you for your boundless

love and encouragement. i also want to thank the labor and business communities that are here in the audience today. because they support president trump's vision for the american worker. i am deeply grateful to president trump for this extraordinary opportunity to serve as the secretary of labor. it is both humbling and a call to action that i do not take lightly. in 2024, our nation witnessed the single greatest political achievement of our time. president trump has united a new coalition of working class americans like never before. with 59.6% of teamsters backing him, historic support from african american and latino voters and record-breaking turnout in once solid blue cities and states. americans are speaking loud and clear. they are calling for action, progress and fellowship that puts the american worker first.

like many americans, my journey is rooted in my values instilled by my father and mother. my father, a proud teamster who worked tirelessly for over 30 years, the fair paying benefits he received ensured our family's stability and security. from his example, i learned the transformative power of hard work and determination, propelling me to become the first in my family to graduate from my college in business administration. later after supporting my husband through middle school, we built our own small business. for two decades, we successfully navigated the challenges faced by employers, from complex neighbor regulations to workforce shortages and rising costs. these experiences have given me invaluable insights into the struggles and triumphs of american business owners. insights i carried we as mayor of one of the fastest growing

oregon communities and later as a member of congress. in every role, my priority has been clear. to fight for the american worker and the business that drive our economy. our current economic landscape has changed dramatically since my father worked in a creamery, demanding bold action and real change. in the last four years, prices have risen. wages have fallen. and 78% of americans do not feel confident that their children will lead better lives. we have also seen major companies like general motors, ford, have accelerated lay-offs at facilities across the country. to rebuild confidence, we must invest in educational pathways beyond the traditional four-year degree, ensuring that every american worker has access to the skills and training for long-term success. part of that effort requires honest discussion about our

labor policies. i know there has been a lot of conversation about my support of the pro act. like president trump, i believe our labor laws need to be updated and modernized to reflect today's workforce and the business environment. as a member of congress, the pro act was the bill to have those conversations. conversations that mattered deeply to the people of oregon's fifth congressional district. i recognize that bill wasn't perfect. and i also recognize that i am no longer representing oregon as a lawmaker. if confirmed, my job will be to implement president trump's policy division and my guiding principle will be president trump's guiding principle, ebb sugar a -- ensuring a level playing field for businesses, unions and most importantly, the american worker. i also know that we will not always agree. but i promise there will never be surprises.

my door will always be open. and i will never put my thumb on the scale. that commitment extends to the work ahead of the department of labor which stands at crossroads with the vital role in shaping a strong and resilient economy. as we confront these challenges, i know that everyone in this room shares the same goal. an economy where every american has the opportunity to thrive through good wages, safe working conditions, and a secure retirement. my record of collaboration demonstrates a shared belief that under president trump's leadership, we can deliver real solutions, putting american workers first is not just a vision, but a promise to fight for every working mom, single dad, small business owner and every american striving for their fair shot at the american dream. if i have the priviledge of being confirmed, i look forward to working with each of you to solve the challenges facing our country. together we can shape our

economy that left every american. i thank you. i thank this committee and i look forward to your questions. >> thank you very much. i'll begin. first question. the protecting the right to organize act or the pro act has a controversial piece of legislation democrats have championed for years. and it's not pro worker t pro big union. it means defending the right of all workers including those that decide they don't want to join a union. yes or no? do you still support the pro act? rep. chavez-deremer: i do not believe that the secretary of labor should write the laws. it will be up to the congress to where i those laws and to work together. what i believe is that the american worker decides to be paid attention to that was

president trump and i's conversation in supporting the american worker. how important that is. i will not be that lawmaker anymore but i was working for oregon's fifth congressional district and representing that. i wanted to be at that table. i never wanted to be left out of a conversation where we can talk about the american worker and how important that is. and i respect the right of the right to work states and i have said that. that bill wasn't perfect. i understand that and i'm no longer the lawmaker. >> ok. now the pro act, just to continue on that, was constantly impact franchisees and small businesses by increase corporate control of the operations or assuming that there's increased corporate control. this is yet another giveaway to large labor unions. it would make it easier to negotiate the union's negotiate with large corporations instead of directly with the small business owner who sale employs the worker. so question -- do you believe federal laws should prioritize policies to help small business thrive rather than imposing null

regulatory hurdles which could hinder their success? rep. chavez-deremer: the president's goal is to uplift american workers understanding the franchise business model is important to the american workforce. i supported the overturning of the rule on joining employer to support the franchise business model and supported the president in this and i align that this is important to grow this economy and recognize the flexibility and people choosing where they want to be business. sen. cassidy: am i to take that you would commit to re-examining the joint employer guidance to provide small business was clear road map on the issue? rep. chavez-deremer: yeah, thank you, senator. certainly. if confirmed, i will be looking at all regulations and determining and looking at all of these rules and regulations and specifically that one. sen. cassidy: once that clear road map? rep. chavez-deremer: yes,

absolutely. sen. cassidy. 27 million workers, 27 million workers work as independent contractors, including moms, caregivers, self-employed business owners. now for many, the flexibility of independent work is with essential to balancing personal responsibilities and earning a living for their families. the pro act tried to impose a one size fit all rule which as was done in california, disrupted livelihoods instead of helping workers. so question. if confirmed as secretary, would you commit to refraining from implementing any rules stripping contractors the flexibility they need to provide for their families and to contribute to the northwestern economy? rep. chavez-deremer: thank you, senator. certainly will commit to understanding this. i know the president and the first administration set out that rule and the parameters is very important to him on the flexibility of who is an

independent contractor and who is an employee and that they're properly classified. but i commit to working with you on supporting independent contractors to this process because that flexibility is what is needed. as i mentioned, that bill wasn't perfect and these are the conversations that need to be had and support the independent contractor is key. sen. cassidy: it's something that i'm very interested in. is how to we revive the independent contractor with for affordable health and retirement benefits without lose that work flexibility? if you will, the employer, the fern contracting with them not an employer would nonetheless be able to give them access to such benefits. i'm asking you if you'll work with me and with our committee on legislation to make sure that the independent worker and the small business are able to get the affordable benefits available to ordinary employees at larger companies? rep. chavez-deremer: yes, i will commit to working with you on this issue.

sen. cassidy: with that, i will yield to chairman sanders. rep. chavez-deremer: thank you, chairman. >> thank you. you're not the congressman from oregon anymore, right? rep. chavez-deremer: no, sir. sen. sanders: let me back up and say what the pro act is. the reality is that in america today, labor unions have the support of some 70% of the american people. the big corporations and their bosses have all the power. people understand that c.e.o.'s make 300 times more. and they say the only way you're going to get wages is when we join unions. but they can't join unions. you know why? because corporations day after day operate in illegal ways. they break the law.

they said to somebody you were late three years ago. you're fired. we're going to take you into a captive audience and for hours after hours, we're going to tell you how bad unions are. if you want to join union? fine. we're moving the plant to china. all of that stuff happens to be illegal. all of that stuff happens to be done every single day by corporate america. so, let me get back the original question. pro act is designed to prevent illegal behavior on the part of corporate america, on the part of employers so that workers can make a free choice. do you support the pro act? rep. chavez-deremer: thank you, ranking member sanders. and i appreciate the conversation. i support the american worker. president trump -- sen. sanders: ok. i don't mean to be rude. we don't have a lot of time. i'm gathering that you know longer support the pro act what

is i hear. you support the american worker. that's what everybody here will say. s in chavez-deremer, in 2021, president biden signed the butch lewis act that prevents the earned pension benefits of some 2 million union workers from being cut by up to 65%. there are people in congress who want to undo that legislation. what do you feel about the butch-lewis act? rep. chavez-deremer: i support the butch lewis act. sen. sanders: you will go to the max in supporting it? rep. sen. sanders: federal minimum wage is $7.25. state after state has voted to raise the minimum wage, somehow we cannot do it here in washington. do support raising the minimum wage to a living wage? ms. chavez-deremer: you know that is an issue for congress to as secretary of labor, i cannot

weigh in. i will fully and fairly enforce the law as the labor secretary if you also choose and give you whatever data possible to make that decision as members of congress. sen. sanders: i understand that congress makes the law but you have an opinion. you will be the leading advocate for workers if you are confirmed. if you were sitting where i am sitting, would you vote to raise the minimum wage? ms. chavez-deremer: i do recognize that the minimum wage has not been raised since 2009 and the cost of living has gone up. again, i cannot sit here and determine what that wage will be fully and fairly. but it will be up to congress to determine because that is not in the purview of the secretary of labor. in oregon, i know that in portland, the minimum wage is almost $16 an hour and that might work for portland but that will not work for grants pass,

oregon. i know local communities, states determine what is best for their economy. what we don't want to do is shock the economy. today, i cannot determine as secretary of labor -- sen. sanders: in his second week in office, president trump fired a member of the national labor relations board, leaving the nlrb without a -- if workers form a union and the company says i think that was illegal, you can slow up the process because there's nobody to go to. do you believe the firing of ms. wilcox was illegal? ms. chavez-deremer: president trump has the right to exercise his executive power how he sees. sen. sanders: are you concerned we do not have a functioning nlrb right now? ms. chavez-deremer: the nlrb is separate from the department of labor but i do believe the function of the nlrb is important. sen. sanders: are you concerned

we do not have a functioning nlrb now? ms. chavez-deremer: i have not been read in with president trump but he has the right to exercise his executive power and i believe the nlrb has an important role independent of the department of labor. i respect their position as an independent agency. chair cassidy: senator paul. sen. paul: welcome. i enjoyed our meeting in my office. i know you are aware of this but about half the country has right to work laws. 26 states have them. you can see the right to work states have doubled the employment growth. if you look at manufacturing jobs, five times the manufacturing job growth. disposable income in right to work states, $3000 more per individual for disposable income in right to work states. the pro act was not just about organizing or enabling unions to

organize, which they already have the right to do. the pro act was about overturning right to work laws. in 2016, that is half the country. most of the states would argue this would be horrendous invasion of their prerogatives. the chairman asked you and then the ranking member asked you do you still support the pro act. the reason we want to know is this is a tremendous sort of invasion of the states rights to decide. this would be overturning the right to work laws in half the country. do you still support the pro act or don't you support the pro act? ms. chavez-deremer: thank you. i appreciated our meeting as well. i thought it was quite -- what you shared with me is how important it is to you and your state and i heard that from many members. the right to work as a fundamental tenet of labor laws, where states have a right to choose if they want to be a right to work state.

sen. paul: the pro act would overturn that. ms. chavez-deremer: i signed onto the pro act because i was representing oregon's fifth district, but i also signed onto the pro act because i wanted to be at the table and have those conversations. i fully support states that want to protect the right to work. i have said that to every senator. sen. paul: you no longer support the aspect of the pro act which would have overturn the state right to work laws? that is a yes? ms. chavez-deremer: yes, sir. sen. paul: no more questions. ms. chavez-deremer: thank you. chair cassidy: with that, i go to senator murray. sen. murray: thank you, mr. chairman. welcome. ms. chavez-deremer: thank you. sen. murray: the trump administration is violating the bipartisan agreements by refusing to spend money that congress and a bipartisan manner has passed for the american

people. i have been hearing about it in my home state of washington. i heard from an organization about whether or not they will support veterans who are seeking educational and employment opportunities as they transition to civilian life. i heard from a workforce training program that operates statewide about whether they will now be able to continue pair workers with employers in the grocery industry. you should know that the chaos surrounding these funding freezes is causing real damage to people's lives. i want to know will you commit to following appropriations law and the impoundment control act? ms. chavez-deremer: thank you. i know we talked about this in your office and i do respect the appropriations committee. as a former member of congress, i think everyone in this room who's ever sat behind the dais can understand that. the president of the united states has the power to determine what he's going to do through his executive power. i have not been confirmed.

sen. murray: i am asking you will you follow the law? ms. chavez-deremer: i will always follow the law. i will follow the law and the constitution. sen. murray: if you receive a directive to violate appropriations laws and withhold funding for workers, what will you do? ms. chavez-deremer: i do not believe the president will ask me to break the law. sen. murray: we have seen that across the board since he was put into office where he's violating that law. so you will likely be asked, what will you do? ms. chavez-deremer: it is a hypothetical. i have not talked to the president on this issue. sen. murray: you will follow the law if the president asked you to violate it? ms. chavez-deremer: i will follow the law and i don't believe the president would ever ask me. sen. murray: last week, elon musk's doge team came to the department of labor and got access to the department's sensitive information system. musk's companies have been repeatedly accused of violating labor laws, including workplace

safety laws, discrimination laws, and wage hours. osha has investigated tesla and spacex. now, elon can access those investigations about his companies because he's gone in and gotten those records. he can also access sensitive market moving data created by the bureau of labor statistics. that gives him tremendous power to manipulate quarterly jobs numbers and other important economic data, saying nothing of raising potential insider-trading concerns. just to make this abundantly clear, elon musk is now in a position to use his unelected role to use confidential government data to advance his own corporate interest while suppressing his competitors. do you believe it is appropriate for someone with such blatant conflicts of interest to have access to those confidential economic and personal information? ms. chavez-deremer: thank you.

if i have the honor of being confirmed by this committee and the full senate, then i will have the opportunity. i have not stepped foot into the department of labor. sen. murray: my question to you is will you protect the private information of people whose records you will be overseeing? will you allow anyone, a billionaire or anyone else to access that? ms. chavez-deremer: because i have not been confirmed, i only see the reports that everyone else has seen. i have not been read into that. if confirmed -- sen. murray: you are not answering the question. ms. chavez-deremer: if confirmed, i will support the department of labor. i think it is important to support the department of labor. sen. murray: will you support the private information that you will be overseeing? will you protect that? ms. chavez-deremer: i would protect the private information. on this issue, i have not been privy to those conversations with the president. i have seen that. if confirmed, i commit to you i

will always take the department of labor and those issues. sen. murray: well, let me ask you about child labor. it is an area i have been very worried about, the rise of child labor violations. the wage and hour division at the department has seen a 31% increase in minors employed in violation of child labor laws since 2019. in the last administration, the wage and hour division and the solicitor's office worked really hard to secure some really important victories against some really egregious violators. how will you make sure that the wage and hour division and the solicitor's office worked together to enforce our child labor laws in this country? ms. chavez-deremer: well, protecting child labor is abh orrent, and nobody should stand for child labor exploitation. i will do everything within my power to double down on the safety of all american workers

that are exploited, but especially child labor. i would love to work with your office. this is an important issue and should be important to everybody to make sure we protect against any child labor exploitation. chair cassidy: senator husted? sen. husted: thank you, chairman. it was a pleasure to visit with you, miss chavez-deremer. i appreciate you taking the time to come visit and share your views across a variety of issues. i would like to talk a little bit today -- i know everyone in this hearing has talked about how they care about the american worker, how we make the world better for them. one of the ways we do that is due more made in america which i know is very important to president trump. another way we can consider this in terms of earning power of the american worker is the impact that illegal immigration has had on undermining their ability

to earn higher wages. i'm just interested in your opinion on whether or not the influx of millions of people into this country, who many of them are here illegally is undermining the earning power of the american worker. ms. chavez-deremer: we want to protect the american worker and made in america is important to the president of the united states. i could not be more proud to support the america first agenda for exactly that reason. we certainly want to make sure we are focused on growing this economy. that is a conversation i had with the president. how can we bring the american worker to be the pinnacle of every conversation that we have and supporting them and growing this economy? yes, the influx of the mass immigration we've seen the last four years has hurt the american worker. we want to make sure we are supporting president trump in

his endeavor to support the american worker. sen. husted: thank you. let's talk about another aspect of made in america. if we are core to make more things in america and we are going to compete on price so we don't have inflation, we're obviously going to need to create more productivity. productivity comes from technology in the workplace. as we integrate technology in the workplace throughout time, it has always been the subject of conversation, consternation, but it is inevitable that technology will advance and we will have to compete. i would like for you to talk about your thoughts on the role of technology in the workplace because we want to make jobs safer, we want to make the more rewarding with what technology can do. we know in creating productivity, it can create profits for business and we want to make sure the reward of that innovation is given to both the

worker and the business in terms of who benefits from the introduction of that technology. talk about the role of technology in the workplace as it relates to labor and how we do more made in america with these new innovations? ms. chavez-deremer: thank you, senator. we have this conversation yesterday and how important that you've been involved from all levels representing your state. i have talked to many of the senators on this issue and it is a consternation about will that replace the american worker? i would say there's got to be space for both because it is going to happen. what we don't want is for other countries to get ahead of the game, head of america. how we could work together with the american workforce, the employers and employees and how we can work with congress to determine what that looks like. but if there is profitability there and we can support the american worker, when then we

can have those american workers upscaled and rescaled, this will be great for america to grow the economy and share that profit with the employees that are supporting, i think that is the key. the president and i had a conversation specifically on building that bridge between the employer and employee and labor and business. if we grow this economy, we can do bigger and better things and everybody can live that american dream. i look forward to really diving in and giving the resources not only to those businesses, not only to those employees but the members of congress who can take this story back to their states and know that the department of labor will work on their behalf. sen. husted: a final component of that is that many americans can have higher-paying jobs if they have the right kind of skills. they don't need to go to college, they can get there through apprenticeships. talk about how we can expand

apprenticeships and make sure we are helping the american workforce get the skills they need to compete, be more productive and help america win. ms. chavez-deremer: one of president trump's number one focus is the expanded apprenticeships. making sure we have the skilled workforce. i know as a former mayor and working with business owners and community colleges, not everybody will get that four year degree. we have to pay attention that they have the skills they need, that they can connect to the business owners and their communities and reinforce that and not have to pick up and walk away. this thing i want more for business and employers to work together and really have is skilled workforce. sen. husted: thank you. chair cassidy: senator baldwin. sen. baldwin: thank you. ms. chavez-deremer, when we met, you expressed your songs -- strong support for registered apprenticeship so i want to dig deeper on that last question you were asked.

that was reassuring to hear, particularly in light of the first trump administration's effort to fund nonregistered apprenticeships or iraps, as they are called. you also said you had not yet had an opportunity to talk with the president about policy at the time we met. have you had the opportunity to talk with the president about registered apprenticeships, and if so, has that change your position? ms. chavez-deremer: no. thank you on that issue. it is so important on the registered apprenticeships and really investing and even doubling down on that. i know in the first administration -- i have not talked to the president on the first of initiation's policies compared to now, but i think there's a lot to learn from what happened in the first administration and the successes and not successes. now, we are focused on the registered apprenticeship, growing those, investing in those and making sure those are adhere to.

sen. baldwin: i want to dig a little deeper on appropriated funds. the labor, health and human services appropriations bill includes dedicated funding for apprenticeship programs and specifies the funding is only available for registered apprenticeships. so, i ask this in the context of actions this administration has already taken, including a governmentwide funding phrase that has now been halted by the court. as ranking member of the labor, health and human services appropriations subcommittee, i have a particular interest in the department implementing our bill as congress intends. that is why i was so alarmed to see the national institutes of health flaunt the law last week when it proposed a policy that directly conflicts with long-standing appropriations language in the labor hhs bill. the labor hhs bill says you

cannot do it and nih said it was doing it anyways. my question to you is will you follow the law that says funding for apprenticeship programs can only be used for registered apprenticeships, yes or no? ms. chavez-deremer: yes. sen. baldwin: more broadly, do you commit to spending funding as congress appropriates it? ms. chavez-deremer: as i mentioned earlier, as a former member of congress, i highly respect the appropriations process and the role of congress. thank you. sen. baldwin: the nation's nurse's face challenging working conditions and they are to frequently exacerbated by i instancs of workable place violence. i appreciate that you said you really take that issue seriously. now, the department of labor

plans to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking in june of this year for the workplace violence in health care rulemaking. do you commit to getting this proposed rule issued by june of this year and finalized in a very timely way? ms. chavez-deremer: i can commit to working with you on the issue because it is an important one. if confirmed, i will look at every rule as it moves forward. until then, i have not even seen specifically on the role but i commit to working with you. sen. baldwin: we have been waiting a long time. it is past due. your opening statement mentioned putting workers first. you repeated that a number of times so i hope to have your commitment to aggressively pursue enforcement against employers that deny workers the wages they've earned or failed to provide working conditions. the department of labor plays a critical role in protecting workers rights, including ensuring workers get the backpay

they are owed and investigations into allegations of child labor law violations. if confirmed, i look forward to working with you to make sure the department has the resources to do this important work. can you commit to me that this important work will continue under the department of labor, at the department of labor under your leadership? ms. chavez-deremer: yes. sen. baldwin: can you confirm that information under the department of labor's wage and hour division on their website will remain up to date, publicly accessible, and comprehensive like it is today? ms. chavez-deremer: again, i have not been at the department of labor, but i look forward to working with agency heads and make sure people have the information they need. sen. baldwin: one last question. the women in apprenticeship and -- chair cassidy: senator baldwin, time has expired. sen. baldwin: i will submit that. chair cassidy: senator banks. sen. banks: we served together

in the house and worked together on the house education and workforce committee where you were a leader. he worked on many of the very issues you are testifying about today. you are enormously qualified for this position and i am proud to support you, but can you explain to us what it means to you to put american workers first in this golden age of america's economy? ms. chavez-deremer: it is important to me, as was mentioned, the american worker. we have to make sure the american worker is being fortified with not only the skills that they need in order to answer the call, but people are looking for the american dream. people are wanting to have the skills to work in whatever they determine that to be. we are seeing it is at the four-year university always, it is the two-year, it is this certificate based. it is answering the call so they can have mortgage paying jobs

for their families and understand we can protect the benefits and rights and safety in the workplace. the department of labor is so focused on protecting the wage earner. that we are helping the jobseekers that are out there and really reinvigorating the jobseekers who have decided that i want to look any further and then protecting those retirees. as member of education and workforce and working together, workforce investment and development will be key for all of our respective states. this shouldn't be a party issue. that is why i've always worked across the aisle because the american worker, we don't know what their party is but we know it matters to them to protect their families. i know how important my family's jobs were for us growing up and i know how important it was for my husband and i to build our business for all children and soon to be grandchild. i look forward to continuing down that road and keeping the american worker at the pinnacle. president trump has said the same thing. we align on this issue.

the american worker, this new direction is where we are headed in this country. sen. banks: very well put. i know you know this. indiana is a top manufacturing state in the country. yet, the china shock wiped out 5 million manufacturing jobs in this country. yet, the federal government programs that were built to help those people who lost their jobs, way too many of them were left behind and didn't get a job as good as the manufacturing job they had before because of the efforts of china to wipe out so many of those jobs in our country. how can we better serve those people? how do we get those people back on their feet and help them find meaningful, good paying jobs like the one they had before that was taken away by china? ms. chavez-deremer: again, it is a workforce investment, development. often times, as a former mayor, if we don't go out and talk to the business community and talk to those employers about what we are seeking and how we can find those jobs, we have to make sure

we are the leaders in this nation and the world, not china or any other country. president trump, the golden age you mentioned, this has been first and foremost. the america first agenda. and workforce development and protecting the american worker and having the ability to earn those wages and live the american dream is number one in the america first agenda. that is telling why this coalition, this new direction of bringing labor and business in support is to uplift all americans and this is first and foremost on the president's mind. sen. banks: back in november when president biden was still in office, his labor department reported that 31% increase over the last five years of illegal child labor in america, a direct result of open borders. have you thought about what the labor department or president trump in your leadership can do to save those kids in our country, being illegally exported for work in america?

ms. chavez-deremer: i have not had a conversation specific to that topic. i know how important it is to protect -- first of all, children who no fault of their own are being exploited. we never want to exploit our children. again, as i mentioned, it is abhorrent we would ever in this country choose to do so. we will make sure that our workers are safe. we will make sure our children are safe. we will make sure we are headed in the right direction to protect our businesses and workers, and never exploit our children. we will double down at the department of labor. sen. banks: the labor department is responsible for combating human trafficking. the biden admin's ration these kids -- administration completely ignored these kids. i know this is something that you will take seriously. ms. chavez-deremer: absolutely, thank you. chair cassidy: senator murphy? sen. murphy: thank you very much

for your willingness to serve and come before this committee. i think senator murray's questions were very important regarding the security of data and sensitive information at the department of labor. i just want to drill down and maybe make a final point here. elon musk is right now the subject of several osha investigations, multiple companies are subject to multiple investigations. his rocket company has an injury rate that is about nine times higher than the industry average. i heard you say you will protect data privacy, but let me ask once again the very specific question -- will you commit to denying access to elon musk or any of his representatives to information about labor violations at osha or any other information about labor

violation investigations at the department of labor? ms. chavez-deremer: t. i have not been in these conversations. i only see what is happening possibly on the news and so forth. the president has the executive power to have his coalition of advisors. and determine what is best for the american people. he made a promise to the american people that he was going to do these things and check into what is happening. other than that, i don't have -- i have not been read in on any of this. if confirmed, i commit to taking a deeper look and working with your office and ner their office on this issue. at this point -- sen. murphy: this one feels pretty simple. this is an individual who owns companies that have existing investigations.

he has a direct interest in getting information about the seriousness of those investigations. he has interest in getting information about investigations against his competitors. it seems like a pretty simple commitment to make, to say i am not going to give any private company exclusive access to information about open investigations against them or their competitors. why can't you just make that commitment to us? ms. chavez-deremer: again, the president has the executive power to exercise it as he sees fit. i am not the president. i work for the president, if confirmed. i will serve at the pleasure of the president. on this issue, i have not been in the department of labor, so i will commit to working with your office. i will commit to coming back if confirmed and i am in the department of labor, coming back and answering those questions. sen. murphy: you have the

ability to disagree with the president. you certainly serve at his pleasure but that doesn't mean you have to take actions you believe to be unethical. if the president asks you to give access to information to benefit a friend of his who has pending investigations, you wouldn't say no? ms. chavez-deremer: well, the president, i think in building his team, a formidable team to determine that, i don't think is expecting yes men and women. we will be advisors to the president. on this issue, one, i am not an attorney. i would consult with that apartment of labor solicitors. i would consult with the white house and their attorneys. until i am confirmed, i would not be able to say specific to this without having the full picture before that. sen. murphy: i don't think you need to be an attorney to understand that giving access to a company, to sensitive data about labor violations at their

company or to competitors companies is deeply unethical. let me ask you another question. both spacex and amazon have filed suits against the nlrb, contesting its constitutionality. it is a pretty extreme argument, saying that the nlrb is actually unconstitutional. i know you were asked earlier about the firing of one of the members. do you believe that the nlrb is constitutional? ms. chavez-deremer: i believe the nlrb definitely has its authority and i respect that authority. i know you mentioned, i mentioned i am not an attorney. that being said, it looks like the courts are dealing with that. what i respect is the fact it is separate and independent agency and it has a role to play and i respect that. if confirmed, i will take that

very seriously. sen. murphy: do you believe it is constitutional? ms. chavez-deremer: i believe -- chair cassidy: you can answer that question. ms. chavez-deremer: i believe the nlrb is an important agency, independent. and i will work with the nlrb as we have very different jurisdictions but we often overlap. i think it is important to recognize it is an important agency, independent and so forth. chair cassidy: senator moody? sen. moody: thank you. congratulations on your nomination. thank you for being with us today. i wanted to follow-up on something senator banks brought up and you mentioned you didn't have a conversation about this, bayamon for you have paid attention to what's been going on -- but i hope you have paid attention to what's been going on to our children throughout the nation. it is common knowledge, it is not a political opinion that under the biden administration

hundreds of thousands of minor children fluttered into our country. many were forced into labor trafficking, working many hours a day. even undercutting american wages, but to the detriment of many of these children. some were injured, some died. it was heartbreaking. as a mother of a child around the same age that some of these children were forced into this labor, i find it appalling that more people were not speaking out about this, and certainly unacceptable that we had an administration that was not talking about this every single day when these horrors were taking place. florida was so upset about it, we kept asking routinely for more information so we could monitor what children were interstate and care for them and account for them. we even launched a grand jury investigation. i just want to quote for you what that grand jury found. this is community members, not politically driven. the biden administration forced

migration, sale and abuse of foreign children. this process exposed children to horrifying health conditions, constant criminal threat, labor and sex trafficking, and other experiences not done justice by mere words. the challenging part is as we've uncovered more and more instances of this, it appeared that the department of labor was not engaging and expecting the same type of transparency that many of the states were, even though the department of labor had the responsibility and authority to enforce some of this stuff. when we tried to get the biden administration officials to testify and give us information, we were repeatedly obstructed from doing that. in fact, they responded to one of our requests that they show up by saying the state had failed to show how it was in the interest of the agency. all we were seeking to do was to fight in the interest of the

tens of thousands of lost children. i will ask you, if you were given this enormous responsibility, do you commit to doing everything in your power to enforcing the child labor laws and working with the states that so desperately want to protect the children in their states that believe they have the ability to do that? ms. chavez-deremer: 100%, senator. as i mentioned, what has happened over the last four years has been horrendous. it is not something the united states should stand for and it is not a political issue. this is protecting children and we should not ever allow that to happen in this country and i commit to you that i will work with you, your office and any other office in order to protect those children and understand that we should never accept this in the united states. sen. moody: there were some words recently promoted in a memo by president trump and his administration, radical

transparency. i think that is essential in moving forward from these agencies so that the people understand what is taking place in their country under their noses because we know any power that rests in this government rests with the consent of the governed. i think as we are waking up to what has been happening, many are saying we never gave that consent and we need to hold agencies accountable to that. the want to direct your attention to right to work laws and states that have chosen to pass right to work laws like the state of florida. we passed legislation to ensure that dues cannot be forced out of people's paychecks. that was very important within our state. when the department of labor saw that under the last administration, they socked a threat to withhold funding from the state of florida when we promoted our own policies to ensure reasonable collective

bargaining and right to work laws. we brought suit, i thought that in court. that is still pending. it is on appeal right now. do i have your word you will look at that, digging on that and determine if those threats were indeed justified? if not, work with the state of florida to resolve that? ms. chavez-deremer: yes. while it is in litigation, i cannot comment, i do look forward to working with the office and taking a hard look at that and respecting with the state of florida is doing with the right to work. sen. moody: do you respect the ability of the states to enact policy and the benefit of her own states? ms. chavez-deremer: yes. >> thank you for the good discussion we had about a month ago. you said you respect the national labor relations board and want to work together although they are independent. the national labor relations board is created by statute and is the law of the land, correct?

ms. chavez-deremer: yes. sen. kaine: it was created pursuant to the national labor act, which is also law of the land? ms. chavez-deremer: yes. sen. kaine: currently, the nlrb whacks of warrant because of the actions of president trump. the nlrb should have a quorum, shouldn't it? ms. chavez-deremer: well, in order to do business, i suppose, yes. sen. kaine: your opinion is a president of either party or a congress of either party should assure that the national labor relations board has a quorum? ms. chavez-deremer: yes. sen. kaine: because of the absence of a quorum, it cannot do its job, correct? ms. chavez-deremer: that would be on its face, yes. sen. kaine: the equal employment opportunity commission, do you believe that notion that workers should have equal opportunities? ms. chavez-deremer: sorry, could you repeat that? sen. kaine: do you believe in the notion that workers should have equal employment opportunities?

ms. chavez-deremer: absolutely. sen. kaine: the eeoc is an independent agency and it deals with workers. the eeoc right now a quorum. it was created by statute and is the law of the land, correct? ms. chavez-deremer: yes. sen. kaine: have you ever taken a position as a congresswoman that either the nlrb or eeoc should be defunded or eliminated? ms. chavez-deremer: no, not that i recall. sen. kaine: since it is the law of the land, the eeoc should have a quorum to operate, correct? ms. chavez-deremer: yes. sen. kaine: because of actions of the president, the eeoc currently has no corpsman cannot operate to protect people opportunities, but you agree that it be in the law of the land, any president of either party and any congress of either party should ensure the eeoc has a quorum so it can protect workers? ms. chavez-deremer: yes. sen. kaine: the department of

labor has some specific programs designed to benefit veterans. there's a couple of programs within the dol focused on veterans employment needs. should you be confirmed, would you take those obligations to watch out for american veterans seriously? ms. chavez-deremer: absolutely. sen. kaine: if you became aware that a major employer was taking actions that disproportionately, negatively affected veterans, without concern you? ms. chavez-deremer: yes. sen. kaine: the mass firing that president trump is doing within the federal government right now is hitting veterans very hard. the civilian workforce is about 3% veteran. the federal workforce is 30% veteran. and veteran workers are also disproportionately probationary employees. the actions thus far taken by this administration are punishing american veterans. badly. i live in one of the states that has the highest per capita

representation of veterans. we are seeing veterans, people laid off at v.a. clinics. i have to v.a. clinics that are supposed to open in the next month whose opening is jeopardized because of the mass firings. even outside of the v.a., the disproportionate effect of the firings to this point fall hard upon veterans. i'm happy to hear you will take it seriously if any major employer in this country disproportionately punishes veterans. do you know what a restrictive covenant is? ms. chavez-deremer: i do seriour employer in this country disproportionately punishes veterans. do you know what a restrictive covenant is? ms. chavez-deremer: i do not. sen. kaine: it is when an ministry. i am sure you are familiar with the concept, there are different titles. ms. chavez-deremer: yes. sen. kaine: you think

restrictive covenants limiting a worker's ability to choose where they want to work is anti-worker? ms. chavez-deremer: well, i'm assuming you are probably also navy the noncompete -- naming the noncompetes? sen. kaine: both are used but noncompete is probably more common. ms. chavez-deremer: i know that is primarily taken by most of the state jurisdictions on whether that is there law or not. it is determined by that so i think it is dependent on what the states laws are and how they focus -- sen. kaine: if you want to put workers first, restricting their ability to find a job after they leave one employer, that is not putting workers first. the reason i ask is that in the absence of quorum at the nlrb, the general counsel has issued a memo rescinding a previous order of the biden administration protecting workers. put workers first. i yield.

chair cassidy: senator collins? sen. collins: thank you. a major provision of the pro act, would -- which you cosponsored, would eliminate secret elections when voters --when workers vote on whether or not to organize. the secret ballot obviously helps to protect workers from intimidation, pressure, and retaliation. do you continue to support the elimination of secret ballots in union elections? ms. chavez-deremer: i do not support that portion. that is an important -- supporting the secret ballot is key not only from protecting from a bad union but also a bad worker so i think it is important to keep in those ballots protected. sen. collins: let me turn to a

different issue. in the last administration, osha published a proposed rule that would affect our firefighters and our fire departments. i have heard directly from many volunteer and rural firefighters from the state of maine who have concerns about the high compliance costs and what they view as totally impractical training requirements that this rule would impose. some of the larger departments could accommodate these changes. but the majority of the fire departments in maine are not large, they are serving small, rural communities. osha itself has estimated that the nationwide compliance costs could exceed $100 million per year for volunteer fire

departments alone. so, the result is going to be close to departments, reduced firefighter workforce, and harming public safety in small, rural communities. although there may be some benefits to take a look at the old standards and see if they are updated, what osha has published would be extremely harmful and actually decrease public safety in rural america. what is your position on this rule and will you re-examine it if confirmed? ms. chavez-deremer: i will look to re-examine -- i would imagine all rules and regulations if confirmed once i can get on those doors and fully understand. protecting our first responders, we have seen it in a small community like happy valley,

oregon and beyond. protecting our firefighters and making sure they have the resources they need and helping them comply but sometimes understanding what that compliance looks like, i think, is remit of the department of labor for all rules and regulations. the cost that they would close their doors will not be good for any community and i promise you if confirmed, i will take a hard look at that regulation and work with your office as well. sen. collins: thank you. last year, the state of maine had 15 million tourists. that is about 10 times our state's total population. so, it is not surprising that those who are in the hospitality industry, despite every effort, cannot come up with a sufficient number of employees to serve the flood of tourists which we are very happy to welcome to the

great state of maine. so, we rely heavily on seasonal worker visas, known as h-2b visas, to help fill that workforce cap. -- gap. can you commit to making available the maximum amount of h-2b visa visas that congress authorizes? there is some discretion on what the number will be, but congress gives the administration the authority to go to the maximum level. ms. chavez-deremer: that is right. i commit to working not only with you all -- this was brought up by many of you in our meetings and how important h2 weight, h-2b visas are. i will work with the department of homeland security secretary noem in looking at those caps. the department of labor's role

on this is testing the market and understanding who is asking for these permits and asking with the department of homeland and apartment of state to talk about that cap and whether or not congress wants to enact that. yes, i commit to working with you and them as well. chair cassidy: senator hassan? sen. hassan: thank you. good morning. it is good to see you. i appreciated the time we had when we met in my office a little bit ago. i appreciate your willingness to serve and that of your family. i wanted to follow-up before turning to a couple of questions i had on a line of questions we heard from senator murray. i take it from her questions and your answers that you have stated if you are directed by the president to take an action that would break the law, you would follow the law. ms. chavez-deremer: absolutely, i would follow the law and the constitution. sen. hassan: i understand that we have seen a lot of evidence that he will in the last four weeks.

i wanted to follow-up on senator murphy's point about mr. musk's access to dol information. this is not a question but i want you to understand why we are focused on this. mr. musk spent a quarter of a billion dollars to get donald trump elected and since inauguration day, we found out the state department was planning to give tesla a $400 million contract for armored vehicles. now we find elon musk has access to the department of transportation records and data systems, when in fact he's being investigated by dot because of multiple inquiries into the safety of tesla vehicles and the deaths they may have cost. then, we find out he's got access to the department of labor information. he's got programmers with him, when we know he's being investigated by the department of labor. it seems like mr. musk is getting a big payback from mr. trump right in the first month of this administration and that

concerns us greatly. i did want to turn to a couple of issues that you and i talked about. we have a shared interest in increasing access to apprenticeship and workforce training and there has been bipartisan focus on that. if confirmed, will you expand these programs and how will you prioritize rural communities because getting apprenticeship programs in rural communities to fit the actual economy and workforce needs in those communities is a pretty unique thing. i would like your thoughts on that. ms. chavez-deremer: thank you, i enjoyed our conversation as well. again, a lot of this information that i experienced comes from being a former mayor, and then having the experience as a member of congress to understand how the laws are made. rural areas are often times forgotten. it is a forgotten part of a lot of our states and one of the things we talked about is the hubs. i think i talked about that with senator hickenlooper as well.

knowing there are programs that will skill the workforce in those rural communities. for instance, in oregon, one of the hubs i mentioned to you and senator hickenlooper was it is a real direct -- it is not an apprenticeship program, until we can fortify or work towards possibly -- what that looks like in other parts of certain industries, we talk about the health care industry specifically, it is working with our community colleges and local technical colleges to have those certificates so we have that workforce in those communities. when we take that information from our businesses and we back into degrees for our students in order to do that. i look forward to working on a bipartisan level to really fortify those apprenticeship programs so we can have that skilled workforce. sen. hassan: i would look forward to working on a bipartisan way on that. one of the things we can do is to pass the bipartisan reauthorization of the workforce

innovation and opportunity act that we agreed to last congress. that is an important way we can move forward. with 2.6 million workplace injuries and illnesses reported annually, we have to do more to protect workers but workers still have to fight for common sense like air for delivery drivers during the summer and properly protective equipment for construction workers. ms. chavez-deremer: one of the remits for the department of labor is to protect the workplace, make sure they are free of hazard and make sure we are protecting the american worker. nobody expects to go to work in the morning and be unsafe or hurt. so, it will be the role to work with the experts in all of the departments across the department of labor to make sure we are honoring the mission of the department of labor. sen. hassan: i would appreciate that.

i appreciate the fact that you rightly respect to the expertise of some of our federal workforce because they know a lot about workplace safety and i don't want them to be subject to these mass layoffs we are seeing. i will submit to the record a question about paid leave. we were able to expand it for federal workers under president trump's first term, i would appreciate your thoughts on that. chair cassidy: senator, i apologize, you snuck in just before senator collins. senator mullin. sen. mullin: i needed time to get my head in place. i wanted to point out some interesting things that's going on. the senator from new hampshire was complaining about a contract that was awarded by the biden administration and somehow you are tying it to the trump administration for tesla. you know as good as i do, that was a contract given by the biden administration, not the trump administration, and somehow that is a conflict of interest.

when we start talking about that, you are concerned about mark and jeff and eli. it was not too long ago, you were happy to take all their money. it is just a party that is supposed to be inclusion, now all of a sudden, if you don't agree, you are the enemy. i will use my friend sean, for example, he spoke his mind on some things that maybe all of us did not agree at the republican convention. for the first time in decades, he was not invited to speak at the democrat national convention. why? because he had a different opinion about where the democrat woke movement has went. what happened to the inclusion? what we do is spend all of our time complaining and making reckless accusations about something that is absolutely false. when you guys do want to hear it, you guys just accuse everybody else of being a criminal and for some reason being compromised. it is ridiculous, absolutely

ridiculous. it is a same thing we heard in 2017, yet you guys are doing nothing but trying to stir up your base by fear when it is 100% wrong and should not even exist. now, with my rant over, i would like to turn back to lori and ask you a question. you are very uniquely positioned, i made that clear. coming from a very blue state and being a republican, that is very heavily union and you have been backed by the union. you have the support of a new coalition that president trump has brought together. where did you think -- what role do you think you play? ms. chavez-deremer: thank you. for one, thank you for being here today and introducing me but on this question, building the bridge. i think this is the new

direction. 77 million americans voted for president trump. we know that the american worker, wherever they are on the continuum, if it is organized labor, employees, employers, they support and gave the president a mandate. he won 312 electoral votes. he won all the swing states and he did have a mandate. in that mandate, what is unique about this time is the fact he included the american worker first. he's not talking about -- he's talking about the men and women who built this country. that is the focus. i believe the president nominated me to bring my experience not only as a mayor, not as a business owner, but because i did garner labor support. the president and i align on this issue that if we focus on the american worker, despite the politics that will come up sometimes, we will not agree on

everything but we can agree we are at a pivotal moment in this history to capitalize and support the american worker. and that everyone can achieve the american dream. i know how important that was for my family. i know how important that is to all of your constituents and i want to bring people to the table. when they are at that table, i want them to stay at the table because i know sometimes we will disagree, but it is not up with the thumb on the scale. it is not to weigh in and support -- it is to keep them out that table so they determine they can solve the issues, just like you and sean o'brien. this is important to the president, it is important to me. he asked me to be an extension on his team where we won't forget that. i will work hard every day to be the leader that this country deserves at the department of labor to carry on that message for the president. sen. mullin: one of president trump's main focus was bringing jobs back to manufacturing.

the america first agenda was all about protecting the american workers. how do you plan on working uniquely with both sides to bring manufacturing back to the united states? ms. chavez-deremer: thank you for this question because it is where we have been lacking. we have seen communities be decimated. oregon is a timber industry and they have been decimated over the last 15, 20 years. we have to bring those back to we can build up our communities. i look forward to investing in the workforce. i bipartisan effort, and as a member of the workforce, i was proud to honor that. if president trump was to bring that forward, i look forward to build up those jobs to reinvest in those manufacturing jobs. sen. mullin: thank you. chair cassidy: senator kemp. >> thank you for talking to us. in your opening statement, you talked about putting american workers first as a priority

here. i appreciate that. a lot of us agree with that. i want to ask you, as you talk about the vision for that -- i wanted to ask you to expand on that vision. is $7.25 an hour, is that enough to live on in america in the year 2025? ms. chavez-deremer: thank you for the question. i know ranking member sanders asked to same question. i recognize it has not been changed. sen. kim: i am just asking you, do you think that is enough room worker to live on? i am trying to get a sense of your vision of what the standard of life for the american worker is. ms. chavez-deremer: for every state, for every community -- i mentioned oregon, what happens in portland does not happen in grants pass. sen. kim: $7.25 an hour is what in annual term, do you know? it is not a math question. it is about $15,000 a year.

i want to ask you, do you think there's a state in this country where someone can live comfortably on their own for $15,000 a year? ms. chavez-deremer: i don't know if there is i don't know if there is. but i would work with congress. this is a congressional issue. i hope i support you telling the story on the ground. >> -- sen. kim: i want to get an idea of what your vision is to see if we can engage and work together. the biggest issue i care about is affordability of housing, the challenges people are facing when it comes to that. i want a sense of where you are on this. you have a sense of what percentage of somebody's salary should go towards housing? is there an upper limit in your mind of where you would like to see that? >> often they talk about if it is 10% or 20%. my commitment to you with to tell the story.

i will come and visit every state and understand what is important to them. to tell the story not only to their president but members of congress. if you see fit i will fully and fairly enforce minimum wage laws. >> it needs to be a conversation between us. it's not just about us. you are somebody supposed to be fighting for the american worker. is 50% of somebody salary too high in terms of what goes towards housing? ms. chavez-deremer: depending on the salary people can determine that. if i had to guess you are wanted me to say yes or no. it is hard to guess what people want to spend on housing, but i do want to help the american worker. i want them to make enough money. i want them to get opportunities and i walked to work -- want to work with congress on the issue because it's important. this is a sensitive issue. sen. kim: the top issue.

when it comes to the lowest median rent in the country around 850 dollars, $90 per month, $10,000 per month. in states where the minimum wage is $15,000 per year. that's two thirds of their salaries. when it comes to paid leave, we were able to move forward on government employees. do you believe all american workers are entitled to paid leave? ms. chavez-deremer: we don't have federal paid leave. sen. kim: should we? ms. chavez-deremer: well --. sen. kim: i'm just trying to get a sense of your vision. i'm trying to get a sense of what you will be fighting for for the american worker. ms. chavez-deremer: my vision for the american worker is to achieve the american dream. sen. kim: is part of the american dream paid leave for all workers? ms. chavez-deremer: i can't commit that i would say 100% paid leave across the board or something that should be taken up by the federal government.

dependent on the states. the state of oregon. i want people to have the opportunities to keep more of their hard earned dollars. i know the president is in line with the america first agenda to have the freedoms to keep those hard earned dollars and we want to make the most profit to offer them the development and the skills to earn the opportunity. i want this more than anything. sen. kim: i want it too. it's confirmed i want to hold firm with you on this. when i talk to work is in new jersey they say it feels like a death from 1000 cuts now with housing and health care. so many other things we working two to three jobs just to get by. they aren't asking for the moon. just to live a life of dignity and decency. i hope we can stand up and say that is what we will fight for. i yield back. sen. tuberville: good.

ms. chavez-deremer: good morning, coach. sen. tuberville: will you change our status as a right to work? ms. chavez-deremer: i respect that you are from a right to work site and i respect that you can continue to be a right to work state. sen. tuberville: back when we had the proactive i offered an amendment that would offer authorization for employees for any reduced fees or assessments to be used towards a political campaign by the union bosses. that failed. are you for that? how would you handle that? do you use going from a union paid in a political contribution from employees that are not asked, can we use your money? ms. chavez-deremer: they say they pay their dues and it is used for political contribution without their knowledge? again, that's not something i

think it should be aware of. sen. tuberville: just asking. you voted for the proactive. ms. chavez-deremer: i did not vote for the pro-act. i want to correct the record on that. sen. tuberville: we had this conversation a couple weeks ago. my constituents want to know. you worked at planned parenthood years and years ago. are you pro-life or pro-choice? ms. chavez-deremer: i am supportive of the president's agenda. i have a 100% pro-life voting record in congress. and i will continue to support the america first agenda which we know includes life. sen. tuberville: good answer. all right. talk to me about illegal immigration.

engineers, people that are well-trained. big tech is growing. where do you stand on legal immigration, your thoughts? ms. chavez-deremer: i'm supportive of legal immigration.

sen. tuberville: anything to do with high-tech engineers? eventually we will have to allow more people to come. ms. chavez-deremer: the tech industry. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i want to thank you, congresswoman ms. chavez-deremer for the opportunity to meet with you ahead of the hearing. we had a robust conversation about the workforce and how to move forward as a country. and the fact that working people deserve respect, protection, and fair treatment. i want to start by

acknowledging, i know you are following the reports of over 10,000 federal employees, civil servants, that have been fired in recent weeks including staff at the faa, the nih, the hhs, the department of education, and more. to me, beyond the harmful impacts at those individuals are feeling, and their families are experiencing, it is having ramifications across the country. everything from our plane safety to biomedical research to measles outbreaks that i heard on the news earlier today to the avian flu. all of this, while the cost of bags is not going down. --eggs is not going down, people are feeling the impact. i have the opportunity to serve in delaware a secretary of labor and labor is so important to me.

also state personnel director. from a workforce planning perspective a lot of this does not make sense. to get rid of some employees that are protecting our national security, our nuclear safety, all these things, and our health, it just does not make sense. there will be ripple effects. where the folks that are now unemployed get the resources they need to live and survive? how do they deal with the trauma ? there will be ripple impacts. you said you want to help the american worker. consider these individuals as also american workers. my question is, i wanted to talk a little bit about we rush what we discussed with the future of work, one of my top priorities preparing folks for the jobs of today and the jobs of tomorrow. in delaware we had a robust biotech ecosystem involving workforce focused partners like the bioscience, delaware

bioscience association. in the national institute for manufacturing biopharmaceutical materials at delaware. and we also had, with our student, the delaware pathways and vocational technical high schools in delaware. and it two labor unions. so far, we know we need more workers to grow our economy. do you have a plan to prepare workers for careers in emerging industries like biotechnology and ai? ms. chavez-deremer: thank you, senator. i appreciated our meeting. i know you have the knowledge from the labor department in delaware. i hope you will share with me tips and tricks of the trade. i don't need to reinvent the wheel. i just need to make sure we are respecting and honoring your story and for delaware hands.

-- delawarians. this is important, specific to the skill, talking about high school, junior high school, understanding how important it is for the workforce that we need to get these young people in early, understanding what they care about. under the department of labor it will be my responsibility to ensure we are investing in workforce development. i was proud to serve on the education workforce for reauthorizing something bipartisan that did not happen i did not go through. i hope, with all respect, talking to the president if it aligns, this is something, that if congress takes it back up, i can work with you all, not only technically, but enforcing that, really investing in the workforce specific to high-tech. we know that we will need those jobs. this is an important issue, i think, to everybody sitting here. that they are a part of the

workforce and respected in every state. several blunt rochester we talked about making sure labor and industry are present at the table. i will be focused on an accelerator. in the advanced research projects agency of the department of labor. our path will, similar to what we did with health with arpah and darpa that gave us groundbreaking technologies like the internet and siri. let's focus on all workers including those being fired and laid off and in a lot of drama. sen. murkowski: i enjoyed our conversation. we had a chance to talk a little bit about the alaska workforce. i'm looking at an article that just came out. it cites the alaska state

department of labor and workforce development, looking at labor statistics -- or, workforce statistics in 2023. we don't have 2024 numbers yet. right now, nonresident workers in our state make up 23.5% of the workforce, a lot. we get folks that come to us from other states. when you have 82% of your communities that aren't connected by road, you can't move as a worker from one village to another village unless you are willing to pay several hundred dollars for each leg of your airplane ticket to get you to another community for work. we rely on out-of-state workers. the oil and gas industry 37.4 percent of workers were non-. and in the mining industry non-residents accounted for 41.6. in the seafood processing sector , which is significant, one of

our largest employment and economic drivers in the state, producing more than $5 billion in economic activity. this is big for us. what is bigger is in 2023 82.8% of workers were nonresidents. we process our seafood in small coastal communities. if they have a population at all , it is maybe 500 people there. you can't run a seafood processing industry when you don't have workers. back to the comment made earlier. this is significant for us. senator collins asked about your commitment to issue supplemental visas in a timely manner and also to the maximum extent allowable. you have that discretion and you indicated you will work to that.

i will ask you to look specifically to the seafood processing sector. of all the sectors out there, and my friend from virginia knows full well, seafood is more truly seasonal than many other sectors. right now, we are competing, if you will, for these h to be -- with other sectors like landscape rates. you can do landscaping 365 days practically. in most parts of the country. the seafood sector in alaska, and industry during the summer at least when it comes to salmon , that it is literally an 8-10 week season. we are the poster child for seasonal workers. i need to know that you will not only support the h2b visa

program but work with me on legislation to prevent seafood processors from the h2b visa caps. this is something we have been working on for years. we have been start out by big labor but is concerned we aren't offering -- that is concerned we aren't offering their jobs to people across the country. we -- you can't get am h2b visa until you have demonstrated that all the efforts you have made it to seek u.s. workers, that none are coming to you. we had a conversation in my office. it's important to state publicly how significant it is. i need your assurance that you will work with us and work with your partners within homeland security as well. on this critical issue for us. ms. chavez-deremer: i will commit to working with you specifically on this issue.

sen. murkowski: a lot of conversation about apprenticeships. i want to revisit that. i just came from a meeting with the head of the alaska military youth academy that was talking about the benefits of going from that exceptional program to hand in glove with the alaska works training program. so, these young people can see the benefits right then, right there. maybe i want to be a welder. maybe i want to be a carpenter. you take them hand in hand. i want to raise in a conversation yesterday with the head of building trades. we are talking about childcare. we are talking about childcare. we can talk about a workforce, but if people cannot get to the workforce because they cannot afford childcare, i would hope you will prioritize families in the workplace and support incentives for on-site childcare. ms. chavez-deremer: yes ma'am. sen. markey: thank you, mr. chairman. since this inauguration

president trump waged war on public servants, especially federal workers and unions. the president violated union contracts including firing tens of thousands of federal workers. used his fork in the road proposal to strong arm federal workers into resigning and waving away their legal rights, illegally attempting to nullify union contracts ratified in december 2024 and january 2025. as a secretary of labor we will abide by the terms of collective bargaining agreements by the -- between the department of labor and federal agency staff unions? ms. chavez-deremer: thank you, senator. it was nice to visit with you. it has been a few weeks since we had the meeting and i appreciate you being here today. certainly, the department of labor is outside of the nlrb. where collective bargaining is

committed on happening independent of the department of labor. i will work with your office in determining exactly what it is that you are specifically asking. outside of the department of labor, it is to protect the american worker. and of course, as we overlap, the department of labor expends more, collective bargaining and unfair labor practices under the nlrb. >> will you advise president trump and elon musk that they must reverse the decisions? ms. chavez-deremer: my role, if confirmed, is to advise the president on a full picture and i will be candid on what that looks like and then work with the white house. if it aligns with the america first agenda i will be the advisor. yes. sen. markey: obviously, collective bargaining isn't part of the institute. this is where the department of labor historically has intervened.

to make sure protections are in place. in 2023 during the house committee on education and workforce, you said you cannot have a strong union without the presence of the nlrb. january 27 president trump illegally fired nlrb board member when wilcox in direct violation of that national relations act -- national labor relations act. now the nlrb lacks a quorum. it can't enforce laws meant to protect working people from unionbusting and other illegal behavior by companies. last night president trump signed an executive order stating the previously independent nlrb must now report to him. the overall effect of this full on assault is president trump has left workers unprotected with no way to exercise labor rights. as a secretary of labor you will be the president's top advisor on labor issues. if president trump called you

today and asked if he should reinstate ms. wilcox how would you advise him? ms. chavez-deremer: that is hypothetical, as you know. i have not been confirmed, but i respect the president's executive authority to run the executive office as he sees fit. he is the one adopted -- elected president by the american people and he is honoring the pets -- promise he made to the american people. if confirmed i will work on behalf of the president and present a clear and candid picture with the facts. we will consult them together. it is important from the department of labor that i give him the full picture. sen. markey: a fortunately according to president trump -- unfortunately according to president trump the nlrb is no longer an executive agency and abolishing the nlrb puts a lot of pressure on you. to make sure there is protection for the independence of that agency. i appreciate your record of engaging with unions. but workers are under threat at their worksites.

and in their homes, greedy corporate executives chip away at the rights, lay them off. got their retirement. all while driving up prices. the president is letting the richest man on the planet cut public school funding, threatening our children's education and jobs of the largest sector of union workers in the country. he learned his inauguration with billionaires collectively worth over $1 trillion. since his inauguration union workers in massachusetts have already lost many jobs. some of my republican colleagues are ironing out cuts to programs that help people get food, housing, and health care. if you are confirmed, and i am assuming you will be, i commit to support of all workers. i hope you will work with me to stand up to president trump. when he takes actions that harm american workers. i think that is very important.

that the department of labor and you be the voice for those workers. thank you. ms. chavez-deremer: thank you. >> thank you senator markey. now senator hawley. sen. hawley: it's great to see you here. i enjoyed our conversation. it has now been a month or more. it's great to see you here. you have taken questions from both sides and taken heat from both sides. you handled it beautifully. let me get a few things straight. for my republican colleagues let me clarify, you are president trump's choice to lead the department of labor. ms. chavez-deremer: yes. secco -- sen. hawley: and you support the president's policies -- policies you will represent his agenda. and to my democratic party you'd sponsored many pieces of prolabor policy and in the house and you have a long record of working with labor and business to try to advance a pro-worker agenda. is that fair to say? ms. chavez-deremer: yes. sen. hawley: that is probably why the president chose you for

the role. i think your record is outstanding. let me ask you about an issue that has not gotten airtime today but is important. that is the significance of immigration and the american worker. i have a chart to show you. this is the department of labor's own data on jobs following the pandemic and in the last administration. abided administrate -- the biden administration. if you look in the red, those are foreign-born workers. if you look in the blue, those are american-born workers. the graphic itself tells the story. american-born workers, no change in employment. it just a return to the norm of the biden administration. foreign-born workers, that's where all the jobs go. according to the department of labor statistics during the biden administration virtually all of the job gains, that were pretty meager, went to foreign-born workers. we know from the biden administration's own statistics about 11 million encounters with illegal immigrants were recorded

at the border during one month alone. the biden administration allowed 370 thousand illegal immigrants to cross the border. many of these people got work permits and started working competing with american workers and legal residents. many of them union members and of course illegal immigrants, not union members. companies don't pay them the same wages. they don't offer them the same protections. to speak to the danger of out-of-control illegal immigration when it comes to wages and benefits for american workers. ms. chavez-deremer: thank you, senator. that's an important issue and one that i know the president has been very public about. protecting the american worker. understand, we don't want to displace american workers. i understand some of the senator's son is a test visa program on the immediacy of certain industries. as a whole we want to make sure we are always investing in the american worker first. we want to be one of the

strongest economies in the union and in the world. we can be on a level to compete with maybe our foreign adversaries if we are talking about china. what is important to the president and me on how we align is making sure we are putting the american worker first and if they have the opportunities to earn and be at those jobs as they see fit and the department of labor to support them in that investment, and it is industries. sen. hawley: is it fair to say a tough border policy that cracks down on illegal immigration, that stops the flow of mass illegal immigration across our border, stops work permits being given to illegal immigrants is pro-worker? it helps american workers maintain wages and maintain their jobs. is that fair to say? let me ask you about children that came across the border, were trafficked across the border in the last administration. 520,000 of them, to be precise, unaccompanied children trafficked across the border. hundreds of thousands of them lost. now, being exploited by

companies like tyson foods. let me give you an example of bad corporate behavior. tyson foods closed down two major plans in my state, missouri, in the last year and a half. they canceled contracts with farmers. they put thousands of workers in my state out of business. yet, we know from investigations done by the new york times and others that they have huge numbers of illegal child labor in their supply chains. in their factories they are putting children trafficked here to work. they are firing american workers and exploiting child workers. will you go after companies like tyson and anyone else that would violate our labor laws that exploit children while they are firing american workers? ms. chavez-deremer: yes. that is important under the department of labor, as you know. to protect and not exploit all workers. but certainly, child labor should it be accepted by anybody in america. the department of labor has the enforcement capability to double down if they are knowingly

breaking the law and exploiting children in their factories. sen. hawley: we have to make penalties tougher and senator booker and i have bipartisan legislation to do that. it is pro-worker to say we will protect americans working legally and we won't allow children to be exploited in this country, or people are trafficked into this country to be exploited for the purpose of profit by megacorporations. >> thank you, senator hawley. senator alsobrooks. sen. alsobrooks: good morning ms. chavez-deremer. i want to congratulate you and your family on your nomination. maryland, the workers we are talking about today has the highest per capita federal workers in the country. the people we are talking about are my constituents by and large and they are being from this administration's mass firings. when we had our conversation last week that was reinforced today, you assured me you would abide by the law.

that even if encouraged to break the law, you said you would commit to following the law. is that still the case? do you believe a collective bargaining agreement is unenforceable under the law? ms. chavez-deremer: yes. sen. alsobrooks: are you aware of the statute that recognizes the right of the federal employees to engage in collective bargaining? ms. chavez-deremer: i don't know the statutes. sen. alsobrooks: title vii of the civil service reform act. are you aware of that statute or any statute that limits the binding nature of a collective bargaining agreement based on what was signed? ms. chavez-deremer: well, i'm not an attorney, as you know. sen. alsobrooks: but you would be in charge of enforcing the law. if it is the law, that there is no statute that limits the binding nature of a collective bargaining agreement, you would

enforce that? ms. chavez-deremer: i will fully and fairly enforced the law. sen. alsobrooks: president trump has canceled what he called the lame-duck collective bargaining agreements. i want to ask you whether -- what statute there is that you believe would give the president the authority to cancel or avoid approved union contracts certified during a lame-duck. ms. chavez-deremer: i'm not familiar and can't weigh in on any specific statute you are asking about. sen. alsobrooks: but if it is the case, and it is, that there is no statute that allows you to set aside a collective bargaining agreement, there is no time limit, would you enforcing the collective bargaining agreement pursuant to the law? ms. chavez-deremer: senator being not familiar specifically i would certainly want to discuss at this with solicitors at the department of labor is confirmed to make sure i am on the same page without committing --. sen. alsobrooks: once it is confirmed to you it is the law you are committed to enforcing the law? ms. chavez-deremer: i'm

committed to always fully and fairly enforcing the law and will work with the department of labor on this specific issue. set up -- sen. alsobrooks:. president trump made what i would call troubling and shameful comments after the devastating, fatal plane crash that occurred here in washington, d.c.. i am sure you are aware of that. he blamed, at the time, while the bodies were still in the water, many of them children, he took out a moment to blame the incident on federal aviation administration hiring people with intellectual and mental health disabilities. again, while the recovery efforts are going. do you agree with the president's comments? ms. chavez-deremer: i can't comment on what the president says or does not say. i threw where the president in the agenda that he is moving forward with. sen. alsobrooks: do you agree that, with the comment, that hiring people with intellectual and mental health disabilities was the reason?

do you agree with the comment that that was the cause? ms. chavez-deremer: i haven't had a conversation with the president on this and i can't speak to it any further. sen. alsobrooks: the same hiring language that appeared on the federal aviation administration website under president biden is also there during president trump's first administration as well. nothing has changed in terms of hiring practices. should it workers with disabilities be allowed to work at faa? ms. chavez-deremer: absolutely. sen. alsobrooks: in any mail sent out across the government through opm, it used a language that said their goal was to move from their lower productivity jobs in the public sector to higher productivity jobs in the private sector. do you agree that public sector jobs are low productivity jobs? ms. chavez-deremer: hypothetical. sen. alsobrooks: is not

hypothetical. ms. chavez-deremer: unless we determine what those are, it's hard for me to comment on that. ms. chavez-deremer: it to let -- it is a yes or no question. do you believe -- sen. alsobrooks: it is a yes or no question. do you believe public sector jobs are low productivity jobs? ms. chavez-deremer: no. sen. alsobrooks: i yield. >> our senator from a little hun two weeks ago. >> i had not even thought about that issue for about three minutes, chairman. but i am serving lunch today to the junior senator from pennsylvania. sen. marshall: and you are wearing philadelphia colors. >> guilty as charged. welcome, congresswoman. thank you for being here today. i'm grateful for president trump nominating you.

when he did this it was a shout out to the hard-working men and women across the country based on your resume, the work you have done. you have been committed to hard-working men and women across the country, union or nonunion workers, people that president trump supports. we want them to be successful. we want you to be successful. i think you will be a great representative at a table representing going forward. i want to talk about workplace development for a second. though unemployment is relatively low, supposedly, our participation rate is not as good. i think there's an opportunity there to get people back in the workforce. if they don't have the skills and education to do that, let's help them. there are many great opportunities. our community colleges. our technical colleges. unions. apprenticeships. all the pieces are out there.

what can we do to support them and help them be successful. ms. chavez-deremer: thank you, senator marshall and i am sorry the chairman is being so mean to you. it is great meeting with you. we had a conversation about workforce development and investment in our communities and how it can differ in a metro area versus a rural area and all of the above. you mentioned it to me your family in local community colleges. i took clackamas county community college in clackamas county, happy valley. how important that was for the community as a whole and for the department of labor i cannot be more prideful that i served on the educational workforce on the reauthorization. while it did not make it through , i hope congress, if the president sees this is important, that congress will take it back up for reinvestment into our young people so that they can be skilled and re-skilled in our respective states. i can't wait to come visit. coming out all 50 states would

be amazing. to learn how labor laws are affecting states and investment in the workforce. i commit to you i will work hard for the department of labor and the agencies within the department of labor to make sure our young people are ready to go into the workforce. and i know we talked about the average age of a community college entrance is 27 years old. sometimes, people are looking to upscale or get another certificate so they can stay in the communities where they are raising their families. that is their investment. i look forward to making this wholeheartedly a pillar of the department of labor. workforce investment. sen. marshall: more flexibility on the pell grant's. ms. chavez-deremer: we did that for young pilots. it was important. sen. marshall: how can you better work with state agencies? ms. chavez-deremer: often the department of labor and the federal state partnership is key. sometimes it is forgotten. i think that one of the areas where we can look together is unemployment insurance.

it was talked about over the last several years and how we can be a better federal partner given the tools they need, the state partners, to develop their workforces and make sure that they have people that want to stay in the workforce and not pick up and leave it. and invite people back. so many people have left the workforce. even though search of a job. we want to make sure those people are coming back in full force. sen. marshall: i want to talk about the franchise model again. in my mind, what the franchise model has done is helped many people achieve their american dream of owning their own business and being successful too. it has been a great opportunity for women, minorities, veterans as well. we have to work on this balance. i want to unions to be successful. i want franchises to be successful as well. how do we achieve the balance? any thoughts on a win/win opportunity when it comes to that issue? ms. chavez-deremer: a lot of times references to the gate

economy and understanding the franchise model as well. i support the efforts of the franchise model. it does allow flexibility for business owners to determine do they want to be in business for themselves? do they want to work for somebody else? i think the only changes that can be talked about today that will work for all of these is everybody has to have a voice and understanding at the table. one of the reasons the president nominated me that has kind of been mentioned. it is not only that we will agree on both sides but we will be understood. they will have a voice. that is the difference this time. i want everybody at the table to have a voice on what is valuable to them and their membership or them and their employees or a business owner when they are struggling. compliance is important. the education of compliance. and that we protect all american workers. there is a continuum from the first day we have our first job all the way through retirement. wherever a worker is or a retiree on the continuum, they should respect the hard work they put in.

everybody at the table will do that. to reinforce things we care about in our respective states. thank you. >> thank you, mr. chair. and thank you, representative. i enjoyed our conversation last week and i appreciate your enthusiasm. i thought i would start with a quick question. if you track the shrinking of the middle class we have seen in the country over the last 60 years, it almost exactly tracks to reductions in labor in terms of percentage of the workforce. almost vertically. do you agree we want more workers in unions as a method to expand in the middle class? is that a worthy goal? ms. chavez-deremer: the goal is to the auction. if people choose to organize they should have a free and if they choose not to they should have that right. sen. hickenlooper: isn't the

country better off with more working people paid better wages? the only way that generally happens is through union representation. ms. chavez-deremer: support from both sides of the table will be important. if an employee chooses to be in a union they have a right to do so. the same if they choose not to. i just mentioned the other side. what does it look like for the franchise model or independent contractor model? the flexibility in the conversation is key here. it's their room for both? i believe there is. the president certainly believes there is. this is the new direction. often we have had the extremes, arguing. if we keep the american worker first and foremost, we will come to the center of the table and develop exactly what you are talking about. keeping more of their hard earned dollars. sen. hickenlooper: the ultimate goal is to expand the middle class. i appreciate your small business background as a small business person myself in a past life. i think that would be valuable. last week we met with leadership

from the cherry creek school district in south metro denver, one of many that has innovative apprenticeship systems put in place training teachers, hvac technician's, engineers, aerospace manufacturers, down the list, health care workers of various sorts. it is one of various programs we have in colorado. the president's proposed funding freezes will prevent us from keeping many of these programs running in our state. i think, taking valuable opportunities away from kids. how can u.s. secretary -- so, you get approved. how can you protect in the programs against attempts to unilaterally, and i think in some cases, unlawfully, call back -- claw back federal funding for these programs? ms. chavez-deremer: the key will be presenting to the president, as his advisor, what is happening on the ground.

that is what he wants to see. a candid, clear, concise picture. as we move forward any of the american first agenda we will be supporting the american worker. that is first and foremost in his agenda. if we are aligned in that that's the conversation i want. he wants to support the american worker. i will present him with clear facts from our respective states. sen. hickenlooper: youth apprenticeships. my last six years as governor that is what i spend my time on. 65 percent-70% of our kids won't get a four year degree. and we have done a poor job of getting them the tools to acquire the skills necessary to have the american dream. are there ways that we can look at to expand youth apprenticeship programs? not just 18 and over. 16-year-olds, 17-year-old, 18-year-old kids that want to

work at an accounting firm or in advanced manufacturing, a hospital, whatever. how can you see is expanding that through your tenure at the department of education? sen. hawley: -- ms. chavez-deremer: i think we can certainly agree, and you heard the conversation. speaking to even our youngest, junior high, middle school kids all the way to high school. i want to work with your office and if confirmed get to the department of labor, expand and explore what can be done. if i can work with your office specifically on this, and get to know it a little better, i want to have the conversation. sen. hickenlooper: i will follow up on that and we will get you to colorado. last, a lot of the records on february 5, soge went to the department of labor and amended certain employee information be released. i think there is a lot of retirement account private information. we have not seen -- or i have not seen any disclosure of how

those records will be used. what are the reassurances that the american people have that those are still safely secure? ms. chavez-deremer: i haven't seen them either. i haven't been read into what is happening with doge and the department of labor but if confirmed i will make sure i am briefed on it and made aware of everything happening. i don't have that answer for you because i don't know what has been happening either. sen. hickenlooper: fair enough. thank you. >> this concludes our hearing. you did very well. thank you. [applause] to your parents, husband, and children i know you are incredibly proud. ms. chavez-deremer: my mom and dad, my daughter, my parents. sen. cassidy: for any senator that wishes to ask additional questions, questions for the record are due tomorrow at 5:00 p.m.. we can to the hearing. thank you.