Trump nominates acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling to lead department permanently

Nomination announcement

President Donald Trump said on Monday he would nominate Keith Sonderling to serve as the permanent secretary of labor. Sonderling has been acting head of the department since April, when former Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned. The nomination, posted on Truth Social, requires Senate confirmation.

“It is my Great Honor to announce that I am nominating Keith E. Sonderling, the outstanding Acting United States Secretary of Labor, to be permanent.”

Sonderling responded with a statement thanking the president. He said serving in both Trump administrations had been the greatest honor of his life and that, if confirmed, he looked forward to advancing the president's agenda on behalf of workers, families, unions and job creators.

Sonderling's background

Sonderling is a lawyer who has held multiple roles across the federal government. He previously served as deputy labor secretary and chief operating officer, and during Trump's first term he worked at the department's Wage and Hour Division. He was also a Republican member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The Senate confirmed him for the deputy position in a 53-46 vote.

Predecessor's scandal

Chavez-DeRemer stepped down in April after a series of misconduct allegations. Reports indicated the department's inspector general was reviewing material showing she and her top aides and family members routinely sent personal messages and requests to young staff members. She also faced allegations of drinking alcohol on the job and tasking aides to plan official trips for primarily personal reasons. Chavez-DeRemer has denied wrongdoing.

Recent actions on unemployment fraud

As acting secretary, Sonderling made headlines in mid-June when he sent letters to 53 states and union territories demanding action to combat waste, fraud and abuse in unemployment insurance programs. He threatened to withhold administrative funds for the first time in history.

“We are officially putting governors on notice. The American people will no longer tolerate the blatant waste, fraud, and abuse of their hard-earned tax dollars - no state should allow it either. If states allow it, they will suffer the consequences.”

Sonderling singled out Democrat-led states, including California, New York and Illinois, as having the highest instances of fraud, though he provided no evidence. He told Fox News he would cut off states' administrative funds if they did not act.

Business community reaction

Sonderling is viewed as an ally of the business community and is well-liked in employer-side policy circles in Washington and his home state of Florida. Some business leaders who had been pleased with the agency's direction under Sonderling did not expect him to be nominated permanently because he lacks the name recognition of other high-profile Cabinet members. They noted that he had been effectively directing policy and personnel decisions while Chavez-DeRemer spent much of her tenure traveling.