In a display of bipartisan cooperation, a group of five Republican House members joined forces with Democratic colleagues to advance legislation aimed at restoring collective bargaining rights to federal workers that had been curtailed by an executive order from President Donald Trump. The pivotal signatures were gathered on Monday, with Representatives Mike Lawler and Nick LaLota from New York, Brian Fitzpatrick and Rob Bresnahan from Pennsylvania, and Don Bacon from Nebraska endorsing the discharge petition.
The petition successfully reached the required majority of 218 signatures, thereby circumventing the House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-LA) authority and paving the way for the measure to be considered on the House floor against his wishes, as reported by The Daily Caller. The legislation, spearheaded by Democratic Representative Jared Golden of Maine, seeks to revoke a Trump directive dated March 27, which affected labor rights for federal employees in national security positions.
Approximately one million workers across 18 agencies were impacted by the executive order, resulting in the cessation of union representation for those roles. At the time, the White House characterized certain federal unions as being at odds with the administration's policy goals. Since then, union proponents, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), have decried the directive as one of the most comprehensive rollbacks of collective bargaining rights for federal workers in U.S. history.
The discharge petition, a rarely used legislative mechanism, offers Congress members a way to force a floor vote when leadership is opposed. The petition gained momentum on Monday, securing the needed bipartisan support.
Representative Lawler, whose political success relies on a moderate voter base in New York and who has received endorsements from key unions, provided the final Republican signature required for the vote. Lawler has been a staunch proponent of federal employees' rights to unionize, arguing that restoring these rights could enhance government efficiency and public service, as per the Tampa Free Press.
The labor movement quickly rallied behind the initiative to reverse the executive order. Everett Kelley, president of the AFGE, expressed that passing the bill is a top priority for labor, aiming to remedy the significant erosion of union rights federal employees have encountered.
This legislative action reflects another recent bipartisan effort in the House, where several Republicans collaborated with Democrats to move forward a motion to release documents pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein. Following that vote, President Trump voiced his support for making those documents public.
The impending vote on collective bargaining rights is also anticipated to garner cross-party support, indicating a willingness among some GOP members to deviate from the party's traditional stance on labor issues. A decision on the bill to reinstate union representation for federal employees is expected in the near future, a measure that supporters believe could reverse significant labor constraints instituted during the Trump presidency.
