Sen. Mullin to Newsmax: Labor Nominee Will Unite GOP, Unions

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told Newsmax on Wednesday that President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Labor Department will build a "unique coalition" between Republicans and unions.

Former congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer was set to testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday in her quest to become the next Secretary of Labor. Her nomination has drawn some concerns from members of the GOP due to her past clashes with members of the business community over the right-to-work bill she co-authored during her time in Congress.

"Lori and myself and Sean O'Brien, the Teamster president, we all kind of did this together," Mullin told "Wake Up America." "We presented her to President Trump right after he won the election as someone that we thought we could build a coalition with. Keep in mind, President Trump has brought a unique coalition together … he's the first Republican president to carry the union vote in decades."

Mullin said Republicans "have a responsibility to the party that he's expanded to bring someone that fits the new coalition we brought in."

Mullin added that he and O'Brien "had some pretty rough moments" and "didn't really start off on a good on a on a good foot," but he noted that "Oklahoma is a very strong right to work state. And because of President Trump, he put Sean and I at the same table. We have now built a friendship."

Mullin said that their partnership "was unique because … President Trump wanted us to work together to find somebody that the unions could accept and that the Republican Party could accept. It's called compromise. Compromise or negotiations means that not everybody is 100% sold but we're good with the outcome and Lori fits that new coalition and that direction."

"The only person I know has been openly negative about Lori's nomination is Rand Paul," Mullin said. "And he has a right to do that. But I think this fits the new coalition the president has put forth. And I'm excited about her being the new Secretary of Labor."

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