On September 30, the Senate in a 47-41 vote confirmed Keith Sonderling as Secretary of Labor.
Sonderling has been serving as Acting Secretary since April and as Deputy Secretary since the start of the Trump Administration. Sonderling also served as a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from September 2020 to July 2024.
It is expected that Sonderling’s primary focuses for the department will be deregulation, expanding apprenticeships, reshoring manufacturing jobs and readying the workforce for the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence.
While speaking in support of the nomination, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said, “I’m confident that he will protect workers, help businesses create more jobs, and help workers navigate AI-driven changes in the workforce.”
Democrats opposed Sonderling’s confirmation, citing Administration policies at the department they disagreed with, including management of some Department of Education grant programs at Labor.
