Senate Confirms Key Trump Nominee With 47–41 Vote

The Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling as labor secretary Wednesday night, giving President Donald Trump a permanent leader for the department after five months under acting leadership.

Sonderling secured confirmation in a 47–41 vote, overcoming opposition from every participating Democrat and independent. Twelve senators did not vote, according to the official roll call.

The decision came at 9:29 p.m., shortly before lawmakers left Washington to campaign ahead of November’s midterm elections.

For the administration, the vote provides continuity at a department central to its agenda on job creation, deregulation, apprenticeships and workforce development. Sonderling has already been directing the agency since former Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer departed in April.

Trump appointed him acting secretary on April 20 and nominated him for the permanent position on June 29.

His confirmation followed an earlier procedural victory Wednesday, when Republicans voted unanimously to advance the nomination. The Senate invoked cloture 53–47, with Democrats and independents united against moving forward.

The nomination had cleared the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on July 30 by a narrow 12–11 margin.

Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., defended Sonderling’s experience and argued that his leadership would benefit both workers and employers.

“It is clear Mr. Sonderling is qualified,” Cassidy said during committee consideration.

“As Secretary, I’m confident that he will protect workers, help businesses create more jobs,” he continued.

Cassidy also emphasized the challenges posed by technological change, saying Sonderling would “help workers navigate AI-driven changes in the workforce.”

Trump praised Sonderling when announcing his selection over the summer, pointing to a federal career spanning multiple agencies and both of his administrations.

“It is my Great Honor” to nominate Sonderling, the president wrote on Truth Social.

He described his choice as the “outstanding Acting United States Secretary of Labor” and highlighted his record of public service.

“Throughout his career, Keith has proven his dedication to delivering strong results for the Hardworking People of our Country,” Trump said.

“I know he will do an incredible job in his new role,” he added.

Sonderling arrives in the permanent position with substantial experience in employment law, workplace regulation and the department’s internal operations.

The Senate confirmed him as deputy labor secretary in March 2025 by a 53–46 vote. In that role, he supervised daily operations encompassing strategic planning, budgeting, technology, financial management and human resources.

That operational background positioned him to assume acting leadership when Chavez-DeRemer left the Cabinet.

His earlier government service included work in the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division during Trump’s first term. He also served as a Republican commissioner on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after receiving Senate confirmation in 2020.

Before joining the federal government, Sonderling practiced labor and employment law in Florida, representing employers in workplace disputes and regulatory matters.

His rise from deputy secretary to acting secretary and now Senate-confirmed secretary brings an experienced administration official into a permanent role without requiring a change in the department’s current leadership direction.

During his tenure, Sonderling has helped advance policies focused on reducing regulatory burdens, expanding apprenticeships, supporting domestic manufacturing and developing career opportunities outside the traditional four-year college route.

Those priorities reflect the administration’s argument that a strong workforce requires practical training and private-sector opportunity alongside higher education.

The department has also pursued changes involving independent contractors, an area of particular importance to trucking and other industries that rely heavily on that business model.

Business organizations welcomed the confirmation, citing Sonderling’s regulatory knowledge, management background and approach to workforce policy.

The American Trucking Associations offered strong support, highlighting the significance of independent-contractor regulations for hundreds of thousands of truckers.

The organization said workers need “steady, thoughtful leadership” from the Labor Department as industries adapt to changing workforce demands.

ATA official Henry Hanscom praised Sonderling’s “deep workforce expertise, strong policy judgment, and proven agency-management experience.”

“We congratulate him on this well-deserved promotion,” Hanscom said after Wednesday night’s vote.

For the trucking industry, the department’s direction carries practical consequences for how drivers work and how businesses organize their operations. Sonderling’s confirmation gives industry groups a permanent counterpart as those regulatory questions continue.

The vote also resolves the temporary leadership arrangement that followed Chavez-DeRemer’s abrupt departure. Although Sonderling had already exercised the department’s leadership responsibilities for much of 2026, he now holds the position with the Senate’s formal approval.

Republicans completed that step during the chamber’s final stretch of business before the midterm campaign recess. The party supplied the votes needed to confirm Trump’s choice despite unified opposition from participating Democrats and independents.

Sonderling now takes permanent responsibility for carrying out the administration’s labor agenda, with job creation, workforce training, independent-contractor policy and the effects of artificial intelligence among the issues facing his department.