Mark Pocan: “I thank Ranking Member Scott. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose H.R. 511. One of the most important things we can do in this…”

“I thank Ranking Member Scott. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose H.R. 511. One of the most important things we can do in this body is help the middle class to have every opportunity for their family. While the economy has been rebounding, unfortunately, wages for the middle class have remained flat. Productivity is up. Profits are up. CEO pay is up. But wages for most workers have remained flat. Now we have a bill before us that will make it harder for hundreds of thousands of workers by taking away National Labor Relations Act protections from them. Now, the promoters of this legislation say this bill is designed to protect sovereignty. While I strongly support tribal sovereignty, this bill is not about that. There are a number of Federal laws that tribes are compelled to follow in addition to the National Labor Relations Act: the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the public accommodations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, just for starters. This bill isn't about meaningful sovereignty. It is about selective sovereignty because it only excludes labor rights, which makes this a labor bill, not a sovereignty bill. It would even affect workers who already have collective bargaining agreements, stripping away the rights they have collectively fought for and have agreed to. Many of the advocates for this bill are hardly credible on this. The U.S.…”