McConnell Targets Trump Again

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) recently voted against Lori Chavez-DeRemer, former House GOP member from Washington state, who was nominated by President Trump to head the Labor Department. McConnell was one of only three Republicans to cast a dissenting vote, voicing concerns over her support for policies that he believes would force hardworking Americans into union membership.

Chavez-DeRemer, who previously served in Congress, has been a supporter of certain union policies that McConnell and many Republicans view as detrimental to American workers’ freedoms. McConnell, in a statement, argued that the American people need and deserve a break from the pro-union agenda that has plagued the country under the current administration. He pointed out that after four years of economic hardship, the last thing the nation needs is more union mandates.

McConnell emphasized the importance of protecting personal freedoms, stating that most Americans agree joining a union should be a choice, not a requirement. Kentucky, for example, has a “right-to-work” law that ensures workers have the freedom to make that decision independently, without being coerced into union membership.

“Lori Chavez-DeRemer will have an important chance to protect working families by putting the interests of American workers above Big Labor,” McConnell said. “It is essential that she empowers every American worker to join a union voluntarily, without pressure or mandates.”

Joining McConnell in opposing Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination were Senators Ted Budd (N.C.) and Rand Paul (Ky.), two other conservative voices who were concerned about her stance on union-related policies.

Despite the opposition from key Republican leaders, Chavez-DeRemer was confirmed in the Senate by a wide margin of 67 to 32, largely thanks to strong support from Senate Democrats. However, McConnell’s dissent highlights the ongoing division within the party on labor issues.