Fresno State graduate is Trump's nominee to lead Department of Labor

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Lori Chavez-DeRemer sat for her Senate Confirmation Hearing on Wednesday, putting the Valley native one step closer to leading President Trump's Department of Labor.

"Americans are speaking loud and clear," Chavez-DeRemer, a former Congresswoman, said in her opening statement. "They are calling for action, progress, and leadership that puts the American worker first."

Chavez-DeRemer graduated from Hanford High, where she met her husband, in 1986, and she earned a business degree from Fresno State in 1990.

She now lives in Oregon, but Blake Zante at the Maddy Institutes believes her Valley ties could be pivotal.

"Whenever it is an individual from the Valley, regardless of partisanship, at a cabinet-level post, whether it's the state or federal level, certainly will have a big impact on our region," Zante said.

Chavez-DeRemer's nomination comes as labor is at the forefront for many. Action News has learned of high absenteeism among some Valley farmworkers amid immigration raids.

The nominee was asked about undocumented workers.

"The mass immigration we've seen over the last four years has hurt the American worker, and we want to make sure we're supporting President Trump in his endeavor to support the American worker at all costs," Chavez-DeRemer said.

She committed to reviewing the caps on visas for some foreign workers.

"A lot of folks in the agriculture community want to see some sort of resolution on this," Zante said. "With Secretary Chavez-DeRemer, her Valley ties could be an important voice in that conversation."

Chavez-DeRemer's nomination must make it out of the Senate committee and to a floor vote. However, one member of Chavez-DeRemer's own party appears poised to vote against her.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky pressed the nominee on her previous support for labor unions.

"So, you no longer support the aspect of the PRO Act that would've overturned the state right-to-work laws?" the senator asked.

"Yes," the nominee responded. "Yes, sir."

Another Republican, Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, questioned the nominee's stance on abortion, which has become a litmus test for Republicans.

"You worked for Planned Parenthood years and years ago. Are you pro-life or pro-choice?" the senator asked.

"I am supportive of the President's agenda," Chavez-DeRemer said. "I have a 100 percent pro-life voting record in Congress..."

The last time a Valley native held a cabinet position was in 2005 when Ann Veneman from Modesto led the Department of Agriculture.

Chavez-DeRemer's confirmation vote could still be days or weeks away.