House lawmakers have collected the 218 signatures needed to force a floor vote on legislation that would undo President Trump’s executive order ending most federal employees’ collective bargaining rights. The Protect America’s Workforce Act, introduced by Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, would nullify the order and reinstate any collective bargaining agreements canceled since the directive took effect in late March.
Golden resorted to a discharge petition—a procedural move that brings a bill to the floor when House leadership will not schedule a vote—after efforts to secure a vote through leadership failed. The executive order directed roughly 20 federal agencies to end many collective bargaining arrangements, citing national security concerns and accusing unions of hindering agency management. Agencies specifically named included the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency, with NASA and the National Weather Service added later.
Union leaders condemned the order as retaliatory and politically motivated. Everett Kelley of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents a large share of the roughly 1 million affected workers, said the move targeted unions that opposed administration policies. AFGE has filed lawsuits challenging the directive.
Golden’s bill attracted enough Republican co-sponsors early on that it could theoretically pass the House, but the discharge petition was needed to secure a floor vote. This week the petition hit 218 when New York Republicans Nick LaLota and Michael Lawler signed on; Lawler said supporting workers and ensuring effective government go hand in hand. No date has been set for the House vote. If approved, the measure would go to the Senate, where passage is less certain given broader GOP support for the president and the higher hurdle for overriding a veto or assembling the necessary majority.