Mark Takano: “Before I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), I would like to rebut some of the points that the gentleman from…”

“Before I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), I would like to rebut some of the points that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), my good friend, has made. I believe that the gentleman from Illinois is misreading the law. H.R. 1948 will not allow the types of impacts that he has described. H.R. 1948 amends section 7422 of title 38. This is true. However, it is title 5 statutes overall that define the scope of collective bargaining for Federal workers. Most importantly, title 5 states that collective bargaining does not include policies, practices, and matters ``to the extent that such matters are specifically provided by Federal statute.'' There are many laws which define the scope of collective bargaining. For example, if H.R. 1948 were enacted, title 38 section 7464 of the United States Code is still on the books. This law controls disciplinary appeals boards. I remind my colleagues that H.R. 1948 would only allow unions to grieve items under its contract with the department, and if it is not in the contract, a grievance cannot occur. Furthermore, my colleague from Illinois (Mr. Bost) has made the assertion that doctors and nurses don't have collective bargaining rights outside of VA, or he pointed out a specific example of the Mayo Clinic.…”