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Floor Statements

Kline Statement: H.R. 2587, Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act

The Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act is a commonsense proposal that will prevent the National Labor Relations Board from dictating where an employer can and cannot create work. Upon the date of enactment, this limitation will apply to all cases that have not reached final adjudication by the full board. 

Now more than ever, the American people are looking for leadership out of Washington and some common sense.  They want to know their elected officials are willing to take on the tough issues and make the difficult decisions needed to get this economy moving again. They need to believe Congress has the courage to tear down old barriers to new jobs, regardless of the political costs. After 31 straight months of unemployment above 8 percent, we cannot afford to cling to the status quo any longer. 

This legislation represents an important step in the fight to get our economy back on track. It tells job creators they don’t have to fear an activist NLRB reversing important decisions about where to locate a business. It offers workers peace of mind by ensuring no federal labor board can force an employer to ship their jobs across the country. And it tells the American people we are serious about getting government out of the way of small business owners and entrepreneurs who are desperately trying to do what they do best – create jobs and opportunities for our nation’s workers. 

On April 20, the National Labor Relations Board sent a shockwave across our struggling economy. In a complaint filed against The Boeing Company, the NLRB demanded that this private company relocate work already underway in South Carolina to Washington state. The board has more than a dozen remedies available to protect workers and hold employers accountable. Regrettably, the Obama NLRB exercised the most extreme remedy, and as a result, put the livelihoods of thousands of South Carolina workers on the line. Equally troubling, countless workers across the country now fear they could be subject to a similar attack in the future.  

Make no mistake, every worker deserves strong protections that ensure they are free to exercise their rights under the law. This legislation preserves a number of tough remedies for the board to punish illegal activity. The Republican bill simply says that forcing a business to close its doors and relocate to another part of the country is an unacceptable remedy for today’s workforce. 

If the NLRB is allowed to exercise this radical authority, it will have a chilling effect on our economy. Businesses – at home and abroad – will reconsider their decision to invest in our country and create jobs for American workers. We have already heard stories of Canadian business leaders doing just that. No doubt these difficult choices are being discussed on shop floors and boardrooms across the country and outside our borders.  

Last month, the board unloaded a barrage of activist decisions that undermine workers’ rights and weaken our workforce. If the president will not hold the board accountable for its job-destroying agenda, Congress will. It is time we forced the NLRB to change course. This is sensible reform that will strengthen encourage businesses to create jobs, right here at home.  

I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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