House votes to nullify Trump order, restore rights for federal workers

Nearly two dozen House Republicans joined Democrats Thursday to pass a bill that would restore collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees, an attempt to overturn an executive order that President Donald Trump issued earlier this year.

The measure passed 231-195 after reaching the floor through a bipartisan maneuver that bypassed GOP leadership a so-called "discharge" tactic that is being used with growing frequency as Republicans seethe over dysfunction in the chamber.

The bill still needs Senate approval to become law, but 20 Republicans sided with Democrats in a rare break from the president.

The executive order that Trump issued in March aimed to end collective bargaining for employees of agencies with national security missions across the federal government. He said he had the authority to revoke the rights under a 1978 law.

 

"Reinstating these rights is not a concession, it is a commitment. A commitment to treat federal workers with dignity, to reinforce a resilient public service, and to honour the commitment of the men and women who show up for the American people every single day," GOP Rep Brian Fitzpatrick, a co-sponsor of the bill, said on the floor before passage.

Trump's order targeted the union rights of roughly 6,00,000 of the 8,00,000 federal workers represented by the American Federation of Government Employees, or AFGE, including those at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.

The union is challenging those moves in court, arguing they are illegal and retaliatory. In May, an appeals court said the administration could move forward with the executive order while the lawsuit plays out.

In a statement after Thursday's vote, the AFGE said it "extends its deep appreciation to every member of Congress who voted for the bill." The group's president, Everett Kelley, called it a "seismic victory."  While passage in the Republican-held Senate appears unlikely, the vote represented one of the chamber's first formal rebukes of the president and the flurry of executive orders he has issued during his second term.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.