Former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) advanced a step closer to winning confirmation as Labor secretary as she advanced out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Thursday.
Panel members voted 13-9 in favor of her nomination, moving her toward the Senate floor for a full confirmation vote in the coming weeks.
There was drama surrounding the tally, however, as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) made clear for weeks that he would oppose her over her previous support for the PRO Act, legislation widely backed by Democrats that would help to strengthen the ability for unions to organize.
But Democratic Sens. Maggie Hassan (N.H.), John Hickenlooper (Colo.) and Tim Kaine (Va.) threw their support to Chavez-DeRemer, giving her the needed votes to get over the finish line.
DeRemer was long considered one of the more likely candidates among President Trump’s slate of Cabinet nominees to win Democratic support, given her backing of the pro-union bill.
However, it remains to be seen whether any Republicans follow Paul’s lead in her confirmation vote on the floor.
Chavez-DeRemer lost her bid for reelection in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, a purple seat, in November.
