During her appearance today before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Health and Human Services regarding the Labor Department’s fiscal year 2026 budget request, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer highlighted her commitment to visiting workers in all 50 state and serving as a voice for workers. Chavez-DeRemer noted the President’s “mandate from workers,” including union workers, to overhaul U.S. job training programs to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse and highlighted recent visits to UBC and IBEW training centers. Throughout the hearing, Chavez-DeRemer said she could not discuss the Labor Department’s plans on independent contractor status, overtime, prevailing wage, or even DOL staffing due to pending litigation on all these issues.
Separately, Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) took Chavez-DeRemer to task for canceling Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grants from the Labor Department’s Womens’ Bureau that train women for occupations in the trades. This was the only point where Chavez-DeRemer appeared uncomfortable in the hearing and defended her commitment to women in the workforce, saying, “I am a woman and I am in the workforce.” Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) also appeared particularly frustrated by Chavez-DeRemer’s refusal to discuss how many Labor Department employees accepted early buyouts and other staffing issues at the department. Hoyer said that he had a call with Chavez-DeRemer a week ago and told her he would be asking questions regarding staffing and said she gave him no indication that pending litigation would preclude her answering questions.