A bipartisan rebellion is brewing in Congress over federal union rules, and it’s a rare sight worth watching.
According to Fox News, in a surprising turn of events, House lawmakers, spearheaded by Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, pushed through a bill to undo a Trump-era executive order restricting federal worker unions, even snagging backing from a notable chunk of Republicans.
Golden first dropped this legislative bombshell back in April, crafting a bill to reverse restrictions on federal unions’ collective bargaining rights.
By Thursday evening, after months of groundwork, Golden forced a vote using a discharge petition—a sneaky procedural move to bypass leadership objections—and it paid off with majority support.
Despite most House Republicans turning up their noses, 20 of them crossed the aisle, with five even signing onto the petition alongside 213 Democrats, including moderates like Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.
Discharge petitions are a long shot, but with the GOP’s wafer-thin majority this year, they’ve become a sharper tool in the political shed.
Now, the fight shifts to the Senate, where Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., introduced a matching bill in September, currently languishing in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee under Sen. Rand Paul’s watchful eye.
Only two Senate Republicans, Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, have thrown their weight behind it so far, with Collins jumping on board right after the House win.
Golden, who once worked for Collins, isn’t resting on his laurels—he’s teaming up with Fitzpatrick to lobby senators, banking on personal ties and bipartisan charm to seal the deal.
Speaking on the House floor, Golden made his case with gusto, saying, “When I said on the House floor that union collective bargaining rights are not a partisan issue, I meant it.”
Let’s unpack that—while Golden’s heart may be in the right place, conservatives might argue federal unions bargaining against elected officials isn’t quite the same as private sector labor fights, a point GOP critics have hammered home.
Still, Golden’s optimism about Senate support, especially from Collins, shines through as he noted, “I'm really glad to see her on. It's not a surprise to me.”
Here’s the rub for many on the right: federal unions aren’t your average labor group, and negotiating with taxpayer-funded entities raises eyebrows about accountability compared to private company dealings.
Yet, with figures like Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who’s pushed pro-union measures in the past but hasn’t backed this bill yet, there’s a sliver of hope for broader GOP buy-in if the messaging stays measured. Sen. Warner, meanwhile, is riding the House wave, declaring, “The bipartisan momentum in the House only strengthens our hand in the Senate, and I intend to build on it.”
