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Trump’s commerce pick with crypto ties advances to Senate floor

‘Kudlow’ panelists Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., unpack the president-elect’s economic team picks and ideas.

The Senate Commerce Committee moved to advance the nomination of billionaire banker Howard Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department to the Senate floor on Wednesday.

The nomination advanced out of committee on a party line vote other than Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who gave Lutnick a “yes” vote along with Republicans.

Lutnick, a longtime friend of President Donald Trump and CEO of investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald, will be charged with ushering in new crypto and tariff policy for the Commerce Department, if confirmed.

He’ll also take the lead on a new executive order from Trump establishing a sovereign wealth fund for the U.S. government.

The no-nonsense CEO is best known for leading Cantor through the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when he lost his brother and more than 600 coworkers in the attacks on the North Tower. Lutnick has been praised for his charitable work through Cantor Fitzgerald’s Relief Fund, which helps support families impacted by acts of terrorism, natural disasters and other emergencies.

HOWARD LUTNICK, TRUMP COMMERCE SECRETARY PICK, SAYS IT’S ‘NONSENSE’ THAT TARIFFS CAUSE INFLATION

The Senate Commerce Committee moved to advance the nomination of billionaire banker Howard Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department to the Senate floor on Wednesday. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Lutnick, who is supportive of strong tariffs, promised in his confirmation hearing to “use any and all authorities at its disposal to implement the president’s trade agenda.”

He claimed it’s “nonsense” to suggest tariffs cause inflation.

“The two top countries with tariffs, India and China, do have the most tariffs and no inflation,” Lutnick noted.

“A particular product’s price may go up,” he conceded, while arguing that levies would not cause broad inflation. “It is just nonsense to say that tariffs cause inflation. It’s nonsense.”

Lutnick also said he prefers “across-the-board” tariffs on a “country-by-country” basis, rather than ones aimed at particular sectors or products.

“I think when you pick one product in Mexico, they’ll pick one product. You know, we pick avocados, they pick white corn, we pick tomatoes, they pick yellow corn. All you’re doing is picking on farmers.”

“Let America make it more fair. We are treated horribly by the global trading environment. They all have higher tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and subsidies. They treat us poorly. We need to be treated better,” Lutnick said. “We can use tariffs to create reciprocity.”

Lutnick will be charged with ushering in new crypto and tariff policy for the Commerce Department, if confirmed.

Lutnick said it’s ‘nonsense’ to suggest tariffs cause inflation.

TRUMP’S BILLIONAIRE COMMERCE SECRETARY PICK VOWS TO SELL ALL HIS BUSINESS INTERESTS IF CONFIRMED

He said Trump was of a “like mind” that tariffs need to be simple. “The steel and aluminum had 560,000 applications for exclusions. It just seems that’s too many.”

Lutnick’s ties to the dollar-pegged cryptocurrency Tether also came under scrutiny during his hearing. Lutnick’s firm Cantor has around 5% ownership of Tether, valued at $600 million, the Wall Street Journal recently reported. Lutnick told lawmakers that his company had no equity in Tether, but had a convertible bond.

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“I believe U.S. dollar stablecoins should be audited, should be completely backed by U.S. treasuries 100%,” Lutnick said during his hearing.

He has promised to sell all of his business interests if confirmed for the role.

February 5, 2025
Trump’s former NFL player HUD secretary pick clears procedural vote

Scott Turner, a former NFL player and Texas state lawmaker, advanced past a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Tuesday night, teeing up a final confirmation vote to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) later this week.

The nomination cleared the procedural vote by a margin of 55-45, with two Democrats joining Republicans.

President Donald Trump announced Turner as his choice to be HUD secretary soon after his November election last year.

BERNIE SANDERS, JOSH HAWLEY TEAM UP ON TRUMP PLEDGE TO SLASH CREDIT CARD RATES TO 10%

Turner overcame a key Senate hurdle ahead of his confirmation vote. (Getty Images)

In Trump’s previous administration, Dr. Ben Carson, a former GOP presidential candidate, led HUD.

Turner notably played in the NFL for nine seasons after being drafted in 1995. The defensive back spent time playing for the Washington Redskins, the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos.

Carson was previously HUD secretary. (Leon Neal via Getty Images)

After leaving the league, he ran for office in his home state of Texas, where he served for several years.

In Trump’s announcement, he touted Turner’s work in his last administration as the First Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC). He explained that the nominee “lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.”

TULSI GABBARD ADVANCES OUT OF INTEL COMMITTEE IN BOOST TO CONFIRMATION ODDS

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development nominee Scott Turner, Secretary of Health and Human Services’ nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Google CEO Sundar Pichai attend the inauguration of Donald Trump in the Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Saul Loeb – Pool/Getty Images)

“Those efforts, working together with former HUD Secretary, Ben Carson, were maximized by Scott’s guidance in overseeing 16 Federal Agencies which implemented more than 200 policy actions furthering Economic Development. Under Scott’s leadership, Opportunity Zones received over $50 Billion Dollars in Private Investment!” he added.

Trump has seen several of his nominees confirmed already. (Associated Press)

In Turner’s hearing last month before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, he testified that he wants to fix broken policy areas and ween Americans off of government assistance.

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He explained that it is his goal “to help people get off government assistance, become self-sustainable and achieve the American dream.”

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

February 5, 2025
Trump VA pick Doug Collins advances to full Senate vote

President Donald Trump’s choice to head up the Department of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins, passed a Senate cloture vote Thursday night.

The vote was 83-13.

He will proceed to a full vote on the Senate floor for confirmation, which he is expected to easily secure with a strong bipartisan showing.

A former U.S. congressman, the Gainesville, Georgia native also serves as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

Collins was not expected to face a difficult confirmation fight and saw bipartisan support in his committee hearing, with the lone exception of Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, who voted against him.

HAWAII’S HIRONO ONLY SENATOR TO VOTE NO ON COLLINS, CONTINUING PARTISAN STREAK AT HEARINGS

Doug Collins, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, is sworn in during his Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee confirmation hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. Collins, a former U.S. Representative and veteran of the Iraq War, has strong bipartisan support and is not expected to face a difficult confirmation. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

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If confirmed as VA secretary, Collins would be tasked with overseeing a beleaguered system of healthcare and benefits for the nation’s veterans.

Long wait times to see providers, lack of access to community care, inadequate mental health support and budget shortfalls are just a few of many problems that have plagued secretaries past in both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

This article was written by Fox News staff.

January 31, 2025
Senate set for confirmation vote on Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior

The Senate is set for a Thursday confirmation vote for President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

The upper chamber voted to advance Burgum’s nomination to a confirmation vote on Wednesday by a 78–20 margin.

Burgum appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in mid-January, where he told lawmakers that national security issues and the economy were his top two priorities for leading the agency.

BURGUM GRILLED ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES TARGETED BY TRUMP DURING CONFIRMATION HEARING: ‘DRILL, BABY, DRILL’

Doug Burgum served as governor of North Dakota from 2016 to 2024. (Saul Loeb)

“When energy production is restricted in America, it doesn’t reduce demand,” Burgum said in his opening statement Jan. 16. “It just shifts production to countries like Russia and Iran, whose autocratic leaders not only don’t care at all about the environment, but they use their revenues from energy sales to fund wars against us and our allies.”

Lawmakers, including Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, questioned Burgum on whether he would seek to drill for oil in national parks if Trump asked him to.

“As part of my sworn duty, I’ll follow the law and follow the Constitution. And so you can count on that,” Burgum said. “And I have not heard of anything about President Trump wanting to do anything other than advancing energy production for the benefit of the American people.”

ZELDIN GRILLED BY DEMOCRATS ON CLIMATE CHANGE, TRUMP’S STANCE ON CARBON EMISSIONS DURING EPA HEARING

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, left, questioned Gov. Doug Burgum, right, on whether he plans to “drill, baby, drill.” (Getty Images)

Burgum served as governor of North Dakota from 2016 to 2024. He also launched a presidential bid for the 2024 election in June 2023, where energy and natural resources served as key issues during his campaign.

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Burgum appeared during the first two Republican presidential debates, but didn’t qualify for the third and ended his campaign in December 2023. He then endorsed Trump for the GOP nomination a month later ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

Aubrie Spady, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

January 30, 2025
Senate advances Trump’s pick to lead the US Interior, Doug Burgum

The Senate voted Wednesday to advance President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department — former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum — for a final confirmation vote.

Burgum appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in mid-January, where he told lawmakers that national security issues and the economy were his two top priorities for leading the agency.

“When energy production is restricted in America, it doesn’t reduce demand,” Burgum said in his opening statement Jan. 16. “It just shifts production to countries like Russia and Iran, whose autocratic leaders not only don’t care at all about the environment, but they use their revenues from energy sales to fund wars against us and our allies.”

TRUMP ENERGY NOMINEE HECKLED BY CLIMATE PROTESTERS, DERIDED BY DEM SENATOR AS ‘ENTHUSIAST FOR FOSSIL FUELS’

Former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is sworn in during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on his nomination to be Secretary of the Interior, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 16, 2025. (Saul Loeb)

Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, questioned Burgum on whether he would seek to drill for oil in national parks if Trump asked him to.

“As part of my sworn duty, I’ll follow the law and follow the Constitution. And so you can count on that,” Burgum said. “And I have not heard of anything about President Trump wanting to do anything other than advancing energy production for the benefit of the American people.”

BURGUM GRILLED ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES TARGETED BY TRUMP DURING CONFIRMATION HEARING: ‘DRILL, BABY, DRILL’

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, left, questioned Gov. Doug Burgum, right, on whether he plans to “drill, baby, drill.” (Getty Images)

Additionally, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., questioned whether Burgum backed repealing credits for electric vehicles that may be in jeopardy under the Trump administration.

“I support economics and markets,” Burgum said.

Burgum served as governor of North Dakota from 2016 to 2024. He also launched a presidential bid for the 2024 election in June 2023, where energy and natural resources served as key issues during his campaign.

ZELDIN GRILLED BY DEMOCRATS ON CLIMATE CHANGE, TRUMP’S STANCE ON CARBON EMISSIONS DURING EPA HEARING

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum served as governor of North Dakota from 2016 to 2024. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

Burgum appeared during the first two Republican presidential debates, but didn’t qualify for the third and ended his campaign in December 2023. He then endorsed Trump for the GOP nomination a month later ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

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Aubrie Spady, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

January 29, 2025
Trump Commerce secretary pick vows to sell all his business interests if confirmed

Kudlow panelists Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., unpack the president-elects economic team picks and ideas.

President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of Commerce, billionaire Howard Lutnick, says he will sell all of his business interests if confirmed in order to prevent any conflicts of interest.

Howard Lutnick testifies during his Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation confirmation hearing on Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

“My plan is to only serve the American people. So I will divest – meaning I will sell all of my interests, all of my business interests, all of my assets, everything,” Lutnick, the CEO of investment firm Cantor Fitzgeral said during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

HOWARD LUTNICK, TRUMP COMMERCE SECRETARY PICK, SAYS IT’S ‘NONSENSE’ THAT TARIFFS CAUSE INFLATION

“I’ve worked together with the Office of Government Ethics, and we’ve reached agreement on how to do that, and I will be divesting within 90 days upon my confirmation,” he told the committee. “So I should have no business interests, therefore no conflicts of interest.”

Howard Lutnick has vowed to divest all his business holdings within 90 days if he is confirmed to lead the Commerce Department. (Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Lutnick’s pledge would be no small feat to carry out. The Associated Press noted that his financial disclosures show he has positions at more than 800 businesses and other private entities.

PRESIDENT TRUMP, HIS ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS: THEIR SALARIES

Lutnick, 63, joined Cantor Fitzgerald fresh out of college and has led the firm since 1991. But he said it will be time to pass the baton if he is confirmed to lead the Commerce Department.

Donald Trump, then the Republican presidential nominee, and Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick attend Annual Charity Day hosted by Cantor Fitzgerald on Sept. 12, 2016, in New York City.

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“I made the decision that I’ve made enough money in my life. I can take care of myself. I can take care of my family,” Lutnick told the committee, adding, “It is now my chance to serve the American people. And so, upon confirmation, my businesses will be for sale and someone else will lead them going forward.”

January 29, 2025
Howard Lutnick, Trump Commerce secretary pick, says it’s ‘nonsense’ that tariffs cause inflation

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Commerce Department Howard Lutnick told senators the argument that tariffs cause inflation is “nonsense” during a confirmation hearing.

“The two top countries with tariffs, India and China, do have the most tariffs and no inflation,” Lutnick noted.

“A particular product’s price may go up,” he conceded, while arguing that levies would not cause broad inflation. “It is just nonsense to say that tariffs cause inflation. It’s nonsense.”

Lutnick testified before members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday ahead of an impending committee and full Senate floor vote to confirm him to the Cabinet position.

Inflation, which ticked as high as 9.1% in June 2022 under the Biden administration, became a defining issue in the 2024 election as Trump promised to bring household prices back down.

Lutnick also said he prefers “across-the-board” tariffs on a “country-by-country” basis, rather than ones aimed at particular sectors or products.

A VICTORY FOR TRUMP’S ‘FAFO’: HOW THE WHITE HOUSE STRONG-ARMED ONE-TIME CLOSE ALLY COLOMBIA OVER IMMIGRATION

Howard Lutnick, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be commerce secretary, testifies before a Senate Commerce Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 29, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

“I think when you pick one product in Mexico, they’ll pick one product. You know, we pick avocados, they pick white corn, we pick tomatoes, they pick yellow corn. All you’re doing is picking on farmers.”

“Let America make it more fair. We are treated horribly by the global trading environment. They all have higher tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and subsidies. They treat us poorly. We need to be treated better,” Lutnick went on.

“We can use tariffs to create reciprocity.”

He said Trump, a longtime friend, was of a “like mind” that tariffs need to be simple.

“The steel and aluminum had 560,000 applications for exclusions,” said Lutnick. “It just seems that’s too many.”

Trump recently signed an executive order directing the Commerce Department and the office of the US Trade Representative to conduct a review of U.S. trade policy and tariff models, with a focus on China. Trump has said he intends to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico on Feb. 1 amid concerns of mass migration and drug trafficking. He also said he would increase tariffs on China by 10%.

Lutnick also sounded off about Europe treating U.S. industry unfairly.

AOC ROASTED OVER POST ABOUT COLOMBIA TARIFFS AND COFFEE PRICES THAT ‘AGED LIKE HOT MILK’

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump delivers remarks next to CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and Trump’s nominee for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 16, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

“I think our farmers and ranchers and fishermen are treated with disrespect overseas,” he said.

“Europe, for example, comes up with all these sort of policies, that our ranchers can’t sell steak. If you if you saw European, steer and an American steer, it’s laughable. The American steers are three times this size. The steaks are so much more beautiful.”

“But they make up this nonsensical set of rules so that our ranchers can’t sell there.”

Lutnick said Chinese tariffs “should be the highest.” “But the fact that we Americans cannot sell an American car in Europe is just wrong. And it needs to be fixed.

Trucks travel across the World Trade International Bridge in Laredo, Texas, U.S., on Monday, June 10, 2019. (Photographer: Callaghan O’Hare/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“While they’re an ally, they are taking advantage of us and disrespecting us. And I would like that to end.”

His comments echoed those of Trump last week.

“The European Union is very, very bad to us,” he said. “So they’re going to be in for tariffs. It’s the only way … you’re going to get fairness.”

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The governments of Mexico, Canada and nations in Europe have prepared a list of their own U.S. imports that will face tariffs in a tit-for-tat trade war if Trump follows through on taxing their own goods as they’re brought into the U.S.

Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said Monday that European nations needed to united to use their collective economic force against the U.S. if needed.

“As the United States shifts to a more transactional approach, Europe needs to close ranks,” she said at a news conference in Brussels. “Europe is an economic heavyweight and geopolitical partner.”

January 29, 2025
Trump AG pick Pam Bondi clears Judiciary, will get confirmation vote in Senate

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted to favorably report Pam Bondi’s nomination for U.S. attorney general to the Senate, a widely expected vote that clears her for a vote in the full chamber later this week.

She secured the votes of the committee’s 12 Republicans, with all 10 Democrats voting against.

Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, made a name for herself in Florida by cracking down on drug trafficking, violent crime, and the many “pill mills” operating in the state. She also spent 18 years as a prosecutor for the Hillsborough County state attorney’s office, giving her the experience that many believe she will need to serve as the top U.S. attorney.

Bondi was expected to see a glide path to confirmation ahead of Wednesday’s vote. Her nomination to be President Donald Trump’s attorney general also earned the praise of more than 110 former senior Justice Department officials, including former attorneys general, and dozens of Democratic and Republican state attorneys general, who praised her experience and work across party and state lines.

‘UNLIKELY COALITION’: A CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM ADVOCATE SEES OPPORTUNITIES IN A SECOND TRUMP TERM

Pam Bondi, former Florida Attorney General, speaking at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing at a U.S. Capitol. (Photo by Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA)

Those backers described Bondi in interviews and letters previewed exclusively to Fox News Digital as an experienced and motivated prosecutor whose record has proved to be more consensus-builder than bridge-burner.

In her confirmation hearing earlier this month, Bondi stressed that, if confirmed to head up DOJ, the “partisanship, the weaponization will be gone. “America will have one tier of justice for all.”

Whether the approach will prove successful, however, remains to be seen.

The confirmation vote Wednesday was held against a strikingly different political backdrop than just two weeks ago, when Bondi testified days before Trump’s swearing-in.

In his first nine days in office, Trump has fired more than 15 inspectors general from top federal agencies, ousted more than a dozen special counsel members tasked with investigating him, and reassigned or removed officials from top posts at the department.

TRUMP FIRES 17 GOVERNMENT WATCHDOGS AT VARIOUS FEDERAL AGENCIES

Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, is sworn in before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

He also froze new hiring at DOJ, issued a sweeping clemency grant for more than 1,500 criminal defendants charged in the January 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol and installed as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia a criminal defense attorney who represented several high-profile rioters.

Combined, Democrats have raised serious concerns about these actions— and about Bondi’s ability to steer the Justice Department in the face of a willful, and at times seemingly impulsive president-elect, and questioned her willingness to go after political “enemies” and asked her to give credence to certain remarks made by Kash Patel, Trump’s FBI nominee.

But Bondi appeared composed and largely unflappable during the course of her confirmation hearing, which stretched for more than five hours, save for a 30-minute lunch break.

She highlighted her record on fighting violent crime, drug trafficking, and human trafficking as Florida’s top prosecutor, and outlined her broader vision for heading up the Justice Department, where she stressed her desire to lead a department free from political influence.

TRUMP HIRING FREEZE PROMPTS DOJ TO PULL JOB OFFERS IN AG’S HONORS PROGRAM: REPORT

Justice Department logo and Pam Bondi (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images, left, and MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images, right.)

If confirmed, Bondi’s former colleagues have told Fox News Digital they expect her to bring the same playbook she used in Florida to Washington – this time with an eye to cracking down on drug trafficking, illicit fentanyl use, and the cartels responsible for smuggling the drugs across the border.
Democrat Dave Aronberg, who challenged Bondi in her bid for Florida attorney general, told Fox News Digital in an interview that he was stunned when Bondi called him up after winning the race and asked him to be her drug czar.

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He noted that she’s stared down political challenges before. When she took office in Florida, Aaronberg said, Bondi “received a lot of pushback” from members of the Republican Party for certain actions she took,” including appointing a Democrat to a top office.

“But she stood up to them and she did what she thought was right, regardless of political pressure,” Aaronberg told Fox News Digital on the eve of her confirmation vote. “So that’s what gives me hope here, is that she’ll editorship and refocus the Department of Justice on policy and politics. You know, I’m hopeful she’ll focus on and I know that the border and the and human trafficking and the rise of anti-Semitism in our country and on college campuses, those won’t be popular positions.”

Breanne Deppisch is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the 2024 election and other national news.

January 29, 2025
Rand Paul opposes President Trump’s Labor secretary pick Lori Chavez-DeRemer

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has indicated that he will not support confirmation of President Donald Trump’s Labor secretary nominee, former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

The senator said he thinks that Chavez-DeRemer will “lose 15 Republicans,’ but “get 25 Democrats.”

“She might get all the Democrats. Who knows?” he added.

TRUMP NOMINATES REP. LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER AS SECRETARY OF LABOR

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, during a confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In a statement announcing Chavez-DeRemer as his pick for the Cabinet post last year, Trump declared, “Lori has worked tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America’s workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America.”

AFT union President Randi Weingarten said in a tweet last year that Chavez-DeRemer’s “record suggests real support of workers & their right to unionize,” adding, “I hope it means the Trump admin will actually respect collective bargaining and workers’ voices from Teamsters to teachers.”

DRAG SHOWS, ARABIC SESAME STREET, LONELY RATS: GOP SENATOR DETAILS HOW BIDEN SPENT $1T ON ‘GOVERNMENT WASTE’

Chavez-DeRemer, an Oregon Republican who lost her congressional re-election bid in 2024, served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives from early 2023 through early 2025.

Paul objected to the former lawmaker’s support for the PRO Act, which he claimed would “pre-empt state law” regarding “right to work.”

TRUMP CABINET NOMINEES, APPOINTEES TARGETED WITH ‘VIOLENT, UNAMERICAN THREATS’

Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., participates in the House Transportation Committee hearing on “Oversight of the Department of Transportation’s Policies and Programs and Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request” in the Rayburn House Office Building on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House about Paul’s opposition to Chavez-DeRemer, but did not receive a comment in time for publication.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

January 28, 2025
Senate poised to approve Trump Transportation Department pick Sean Duffy

The Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Transportation Department, Sean Duffy.

The Senate voted Monday to advance Duffy’s nomination by a margin of 97-0, and his confirmation is expected Tuesday.

Duffy, who previously represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee this month and outlined his priorities for the Transportation Department including aviation and highway safety, addressing the air traffic controller shortage and restoring trust in Boeing following several major scandals.

TRUMP’S TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY NOMINEE ADVANCES TO FINAL SENATE VOTE

Sean Duffy greets Senators at his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15 with the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

“No federal agency impacts Americans’ daily lives and loved ones like the Department of Transportation,” Duffy told lawmakers at his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15.

“We want the best and the brightest air traffic controllers. We must modernize our systems with cutting edge technologies. I’ll work with Congress and the FAA to restore global confidence in Boeing, and to ensure that our skies are safe,” he said.

Duffy also vowed to initiate work on rebuilding a portion of Interstate 40 near the North Carolina-Tennessee line shut down by extensive Hurricane Helene damage in September.

TULSI GABBARD, RFK JR. EXPECTED TO FACE OPPOSITION IN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS

Sean Duffy at his confirmation hearing for Secretary of Transportation on Jan. 15. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

“We’re continuing to try to work through this process to get that rebuild, but we need to know this will be front and center with you so we can get that interstate rebuilt and reopened,” Duffy said.

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Meanwhile, Trump visited North Carolina on Friday and promised some reforms to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that has overseen recovery of North Carolina following the hurricane.

“We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to fix it as fast as you can,” Trump said Friday. “It’s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down.”

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

January 28, 2025