Providing for Consideration of H. Res. Insisting Department of Justice Comply with Requests and Subpoenas

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I represent a district in northeast Pennsylvania where collective bargaining rights are time-honored and highly valued. The work our unions have done over the past 100-plus years has changed our laws and practices that helped create our strong American middle class. Our middle class is something that really makes us the envy of the free world, and American unions keep the middle class strong.

Today, public sector unions represent about 17.3 million workers in State and local governments across the country. These public sector workers keep us safe and teach and nurture our children, care for our families. As union members, they are empowered through collective action to fight for fair wages and work conditions, as Mr. McGovern mentioned.

But yesterday, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled against unions in the case of Janus v. AFSCME. They overturned four decades--40 years--of legal precedent to undermine the rights of correctional officers, State and local policemen, firefighters, snowplow drivers, teachers, all the local government employees that work hard for us and make us safe every day.

The Court's decision invalidates the laws of 22 States and the District of Columbia. These are States that decided to allow unions and State employees mutually to agree on ensuring that employees pay a fair share fee to cover the costs of collective bargaining enforcement.

This Court's decision is nothing but bare-knuckled politics. In fact, prominent Republican politicians have already described it and praised it as a devastating blow to Democrats. It is not jurisprudence; it is just politics.

When you overturn 40 years of American legal precedent, when you rip up 40 years of the fabric of American law, it is a big deal.

Associate Justice Kagan described it yesterday as a weaponization of the First Amendment that has been going on. And she is right. This decision comes at a time when hardworking Americans are fighting every day just to pay their bills and support their families. Labor unions are working hard to give workers a collective voice to gain higher wages, better healthcare, and a secure retirement.

Make no mistake, a tax on public-sector unions is the camel's nose under the tent flap. They are coming after private sector unions next.

Strong public unions build the middle class in our country and shape the life of every American by negotiating for labor rights, including the minimum wage, 8-hour workdays, weekends, employer health insurance.

Now is not the time to turn our back on American workers and labor unions. Now is the time to stand with employees who serve the public across the country.

For that reason, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up my bill, H.R. 6238, the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, a bill that will defend the right of every public sector employee to join a union and bargain collectively.

The bill empowers the Federal Labor Relations Authority to ensure that State and local government employees are treated fairly and that workplace conditions meet a proper standard. Every employee deserves these basic standards, whether they choose to join a union or not.

Again, the Janus decision is an outright attack on all unions, on all working people, and an attack on the cause that we here in Congress, here in the people's House, fight for every day.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the previous question and the rule so that this important legislation will be considered immediately.

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