N環球 
Senate confirms Keith Sonderling as 31st U.S. Secretary of Labor
The Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling as the 31st U.S. Secretary of Labor on September 30 by a 47-41 vote, formally installing him after months as acting secretary.
Why it matters
The Senate voted 47-41 on September 30 to confirm Keith Sonderling as the 31st U.S. Secretary of Labor, formally installing President Donald Trump's nominee after he ran the department in an acting capacity for months. The Labor Secretary heads the Department of Labor, which enforces federal wage and hour laws, administers unemployment insurance programs and sets workplace-safety standards affecting tens of millions of American workers.
Full report
Sonderling has served as acting labor secretary since late April, when Lori Chavez-DeRemer left the administration for the private sector. He was nominated for the permanent role by President Trump and cleared the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on a 12-11 party-line vote on July 30.
Sonderling is a former employment and labor lawyer who held several positions at the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission during Trump's first term. During his confirmation hearing, the one workplace-safety question he fielded — from Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) — focused on OSHA staffing: the agency had 736 inspectors covering 11.6 million worksites, though OSHA leadership says more than 120 new frontline inspectors have been hired since the beginning of May.
His confirmation comes as the Senate prepared to leave Washington for the rest of the month, with lawmakers returning to the campaign trail ahead of the November midterm elections.
💬 Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!