WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today delivered an opening statement at the committee’s hearing on the nomination of Lori Chavez-DeRemer to serve as Secretary of Labor. 

Sanders’ remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below and can be watched here.

Let me begin by thanking the Biden administration for being the most pro-worker administration in modern history of this country. 

The mission of the Department of Labor is to “foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage-earners, job-seekers and retirees of the United States, improve working conditions, advance opportunities for profitable employment and assure work-related benefits and rights.” That is the mission of the Department of Labor, and it’s a mission that is more important now, in my view, that it has ever been. 

Mr. Chairman, for the past 50 years, our economy has been doing extraordinarily well. Never done better for the people on top. Top 1%, right now, is enjoying wealth and power in a way that has never existed in the history of America. 

We now have the absurd situation – the disgraceful situation – where three people, Mr. Musk, Mr. Zuckerberg and Mr. Bezos are now worth over $900 billion. That is more wealth than the bottom half of American society: 170 million people. Is that really what America is supposed to be about? 

In America, we have more income and wealth inequality than we have ever had. Over 60% of our people, as we speak right here, 60% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. I grew up in a family living paycheck-to-paycheck. That ain’t easy. Stress level: enormous. People trying to find out how they are going to get health care, how they are going to pay their rent, how they’re going to feed their kids, which is one of the reasons working-class people live six years shorter lives than the people on top. 

Given this reality, of an economy working well for the billionaire class but not for working families, we need a labor secretary who, in fact, is going to be a champion of working families – not be ambiguous about it, but stand up for the working families of our country. 

We need a labor secretary who understands we must raise the minimum wage. Now, $7.25. Federal minimum wage. Anybody think that anyone anywhere in America can live on $7.25 an hour?

We need a labor secretary who will work each and every day to make it easier, not harder, for workers to exercise their constitutional right to form a union and collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions. 

We need a labor secretary who understands that we must end, once and for all, the disastrous right-to-work laws in 28 states by repealing section 14B of Taft-Harley.

We need a labor secretary who understands we must end the international embarrassment of America being the only major country on Earth that does not guarantee paid family and medical leave, or paid sick days. Imagine that. Only major country on Earth that does not guarantee paid family medical leave. 

We need a labor secretary who understands it is unacceptable that women earn 75 cents on the dollar compared to men. 

So Ms. Chavez-DeRemer, I have reviewed your record, and in many respects, especially given the nature of the nominees that Mr. Trump has brought forth, it is very good. You’re one of the few Republican members of Congress who cosponsored the PRO Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, to make it easier for workers to form unions. 

You have been a defender of union apprenticeship programs and you have fought to expand the concept of employee ownership – something I feel strongly about. Many unions have come out in support of your nomination, and that is an interesting development. I have spoken with you and union leaders who support your nomination. 

But here is my concern: If you are confirmed, you will not only be in charge of enforcing more than 180 labor laws that are on the books today, you will be the president’s chief labor advisor. That is what you will be. 

When it comes to labor policy, you will have to make a choice: Will you be a rubber stamp for the anti-worker agenda of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and other multi-billionaires who are blatantly anti-union? They don’t make any bones about it. Or will you stand with working families all over the country? 

That is really the main issue. It’s not just your record. This is an unusual administration. In my view, we are moving toward an authoritarian society where one person has enormous power. Will you have the courage to say, Mr. President, that is unconstitutional, that is wrong, I will not stand with you.