SALEM, OR – The Trump administration has tapped a former Oregon Senate Republican leader as an assistant labor secretary, bringing him into an agency headed by another Oregon Republican.
For weeks, speculation has been growing over whether Sen. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, could be leaving Oregon for a job with the U.S. Department of Labor, now headed by former Oregon U.S. Rep. and current Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Bonham announced Sept. 15 his resignation would be effective on Oct. 5 without elaborating on his future plans at the time.
“I never set out to be a politician — I just wanted to serve my community, and I’ll always be grateful for the trust they placed in me,” Bonham said in a statement at the time. “I’m excited about my future, but I’ll miss the day-to-day work alongside my colleagues in Salem.”
An Oct. 2 notice on the U.S. Senate’s Executive Calendar shows that Bonham has received a “privileged nomination” to the labor department. He’s poised to take over the assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental affairs position last held by Liz Watson, a labor attorney appointed by Joe Biden who resigned when Donald Trump took office.
Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will be able to request biographical and financial information from Bonham, but a privileged nomination is not required to go through a typical committee hearing or referral unless explicitly requested by a sitting senator.
Bonham worked for a now-defunct aviation company and bought and ran a stove and spa shop before he was appointed to the state House in 2017. He served in the House until 2023, when he was elected to the Senate.
Months into his first Senate term, Bonham participated in a six-week quorum-denying walkout to block Democrats who hold the majority in the Oregon Legislature from passing bills on abortion, gender-affirming care and gun control. Because of a voter-approved constitutional amendment blocking any lawmakers who skip 10 or more days from reelection, Bonham could not run again in 2026.
Neither Bonham nor a spokesperson for the U.S Department of Labor responded to text message inquiries on Tuesday following up on other previously unreturned inquiries from early September. The Department of Labor’s main press phone line was unavailable because of the ongoing government shutdown.
Since announcing his resignation, Bonham has kept his cards close to his chest when it comes to information about his future position. But he has never shied from supporting Chavez-DeRemer, endorsing her at the beginning of her unsuccessful 20224 campaign for re-election to Congress.
“I know you and I know how important it is that your impact is local,” Bonham told a nodding Chavez-DeRemer during a March 2023 courtesy for her on the Oregon Senate floor, praising her achievements as a former Happy Valley mayor and city councilor.
Under Chavez-DeRemer’s labor department, the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs works as a liaison to Congress and other government agencies through tasks such as reviewing pending legislation, coordinating Congressional hearings and responding to requests for information from Congress, according to its website. Bonham’s social media activity from two days before his nomination was published suggests he is already taking notice.
“Democrats in Salem are setting the trend – as DC Democrats have gone crazy as well, completely ignoring the will of voters and doubling down on policies that alienate their own constituents,” he wrote on X on Sept. 30. “Demanding $1.5 Trillion in new spending in order to pass a continuing resolution. Insane!”
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