House Committee Passes Bill to Limit NLRB Remedial Authority
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce passed a bill yesterday that would prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from ordering any employer to close, relocate, or transfer a business. The Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act (H.R. 2587), introduced by Rep. Tim Scott (R-SC), is aimed, in part, at stopping the NLRB from proceeding with its complaint against the Boeing Co. According to the WSJ's Melanie Trottman:
The bill passed the House Education and the Workforce Committee on a 23-16 party-line vote, But it’s unclear when the full House might consider it, and it’s not likely to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Republicans say the NLRB, an independent government agency that’s controlled by Obama administration appointees, has gone too far and needs to be stopped with legislation.
“Republicans refuse to allow federal bureaucrats to reverse the business decisions of employers,” Committee Chairman John Kline (R., Minn.) said at the committee meeting Thursday. The bill, he said, “takes a critical step to provide employers with the certainty they need to put Americans back to work, right here at home.”
Committee Ranking Member Rep. George Miller denounced the effort in a statement, calling it "a very reckless and partisan bill to destroy workers' rights."
More information and commentary:
- "House Republicans advance bill to curb authority of labor relations board" -- The Hill
- "Panel approves Scott's bill: Measure would strip some power from NLRB, which has sued Boeing over new 787 plant" -- Post and Courier
- "NLRB General Counsel defiant as subpoena showdown looms" -- In These Times
- "House Republicans put Boeing over workers rights in bill to cripple NLRB" -- AFL-CIO Now blog
- "On party line, House panel OK's bill to curb NLRB" -- Washington Times
