Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC) spoke on the House floor today in opposition to H.R. 842, Democrats’ PRO Union Bosses Act. This radical legislation is a political gift to union bosses that undermines workers’ rights, destroys jobs, and would cost employers billions in new annual costs.
"This unnecessary bill is an assault on American workers, employers, and the economy.
"Democrats are pushing this sweeping legislation without holding a single Committee hearing or markup.
"Is this the new standard for the People’s House? Silence the minority and their constituents by denying a thorough examination of yet another extreme and damaging Democrat legislative scheme? It is disgraceful.
"The Pro Union Bosses Act that Democrats have disingenuously titled the ‘PRO Act’ is a left-wing wish list of union boss priorities which undermines the rights of workers by forcing them to pay into a union system, whether or not they want to be represented by a union.
"Many workers would not choose to funnel billions of their hard-earned dollars to left-wing groups like Planned Parenthood, the Clinton Foundation, and the Progressive Democrats of America.
"This misguided bill also stunts economic recovery by hitting employers over the head with an estimated $47 billion in new annual costs.
"But it’s not just employers who will pay the price. This bill will re-classify gig economy workers as employees, costing tens of thousands of workers their jobs and eliminating the flexibility so many rely on to care for their family members—a priority even more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The appalling list of bad policy provisions in this bill goes on and we will hear more about them during this debate. But the bottom line is this: the PRO Act is a sorry excuse for legislation and the partisan process under which it is being considered is equally embarrassing."
