On the recordMarch 19, 2015
Thank you, Ranking Member Scott. Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Review Act is yet another attack on employees' rights to organize and to limit the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB should have the ability to safeguard those rights and protect our Nation's workers from unfair labor practices. It is outrageous that the rights of employees are attacked, particularly at a time when we have a jobs deficit, a shrinking middle class, and are still struggling to recover from the Great Recession. The NLRB has made modest attempts to modernize its election procedures and reduce unnecessary litigation and delay in the election process. These are commonsense fixes that should not be controversial. The CRA would freeze in place the Board's current flawed election procedure. The Board would be prohibited from adopting rules to utilize new technology or modernize its procedures. The NLRB is an expert agency and should be trusted to determine the appropriate use of electronic voting or rules to safeguard ballot secrecy. Furthermore, I am not aware of any other government agency that has to seek Congress' permission before modernizing its rules for voting that takes place under its jurisdiction. Dismantling the NLRB would only serve to weaken, undermine, and jeopardize the economic security of the middle class. It is bad for business, bad for families, and bad for our economy. In fact, the National Labor Relations Board is the last line of defense for workers.…
