Cabinet member backs pro-union policies, yet is unlikely to sway presidential cabinet
By: Andreu Beltran
There’s one thing that almost everyone in President Donald Trump’s cabinet shares: they want to lead America with an iron fist. For instance, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and head of the newly formed Department for Government Efficiency plans to eliminate what is officially termed “government waste,” or, in other words, employees the organization deems useless. Meanwhile, Trump’s “border czar” and former United States Director of Immigration Control Tom Homan plans to conduct government-sanctioned ‘raids’ against illegal immigrants, denying them the right to find political asylum and make a living in the ‘Land of the Free.’ Amidst the turmoil, Trump’s choice for Labor Secretary, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, seems like an anomaly amongst other Republican cabinet members. She is the second Latino pick in Trump’s cabinet and also one of the only Republicans to support President Biden’s PRO act defending workers’ rights to unionize, having supported TSA agents’ rights, and even is a strong advocate for composting—all reasons for the Democratic Party to endorse her. While her selection may seem like a redeeming quality of Trump’s presidential cabinet, her sheer lack of authority to ensure workers’ rights in such an anti-worker cabinet alone will likely prevent her from ever establishing Democratic-aligning policies.
Firsty, it’s unlikely that she will convince the rest of the cabinet to advocate for workers’ unions. President Trump holds the most power in the presidential cabinet, and Chavez-DeRemer cannot pass any legislation without executive approval. Although Trump positions himself as a pro-blue-collar president, his policies are extremely pro-business and can even neglect the working class. During his 2017-2021 term, Trump’s appointees on the National Labor Relations Board were all pro-business figures, and he consistently backed anti-union policies. In theory, Trump would support Chavez-DeRemer’s pro-worker stances, but this directly conflicts his belief that we need to uphold the American economy by stimulating more business. The other major authority figures in labor matters in Trump’s cabinet are Musk and Homan. In the past, Elon Musk has threatened to fire all Tesla employees who attempt to unionize, Ramaswamy wants to fire 75% of federal employees, and Homan plans to use e-verification to prevent undocumented immigrants from getting jobs. Altogether, there will be heavy pushback to whatever “Democratic-sounding” policies Chavez-DeRemer proposes in the Labor Department.
While Chavez-De-Remer supports border control, her perspective seems relatively tame compared to the other candidates. In one OPB interview, she said:
“I want to ensure future generations are afforded the same opportunities that my family has had and recognize the important role immigration plays in benefitting our society and strengthening our workforce and economy… Unfortunately, we have an ongoing humanitarian crisis at the southern border that has created dangerous and life-threatening conditions for migrants. That’s why I have helped introduce commonsense, bipartisan legislation… improving border security.”
As a second-generation Mexican immigrant, DeRemer understands the need for refugees to seek asylum in America but must grapple with the logistical challenges of allowing all undocumented migrants across the border. While she supports border control similar to President Trump, her language is much more subdued than the president’s, as Trump has made baseless claims including accusing Haitian immigrants of eating pets. Yet, this means that, despite her perspective, it is unlikely that she has any capacity to influence President Trump’s plan to deport all undocumented immigrants, which is bound to upset the Democratic Party.
Lori Chavez De-Remer provides a fresh perspective on Trump’s presidential cabinet. While it is unlikely that she will have the ability to change the opinions of the other members, this is one of the only appointed officials about whom most would agree: she seems to be a proponent for the American people.
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