The House on Thursday approved a bipartisan bill to reinstate collective bargaining rights for many federal workers, reversing an executive order signed earlier this year by President Donald Trump.
The measure passed 231-195, with 20 Republicans joining Democrats. If enacted, it would restore union protections for nearly 1 million federal employees. The bill was introduced by Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.
“This is solidarity in action. I’m proud of the bipartisan coalition who passed this bill,” Golden wrote on X.
Fitzpatrick said the legislation “restores something fundamental: the right of public servants to be heard, respected, and represented in their workplace,” and urged the Senate to act.
The White House did not respond Thursday night to a request for comment. Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., also did not respond when asked if the Senate would take up the bill.
Trump signed an executive order in March ending collective bargaining at agencies tied to national security, citing authority under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. The law allows exceptions for agencies primarily involved in intelligence, investigative, or national security functions.
The March order affected the departments of State, Defense, Justice, Veterans Affairs, Energy, Health and Human Services, Treasury, and Commerce, as well as parts of the Department of Homeland Security focused on border security.
In August, Trump issued another order under the same law ending bargaining rights for units within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including the National Weather Service and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service.
The August order also applied to parts of the Bureau of Reclamation, NASA, the Patent and Trademark Office, the Office of the Commissioner of Patents, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, which represents nearly 15 million workers, praised lawmakers who supported the bill and described Trump’s actions as “the single largest act of union-busting in American histories.”
“As we turn to the Senate—where the bill already has bipartisan support—working people are calling on the politicians we elected to stand with us, even if it means standing up to the union-busting boss in the White House,” Shuler said in a statement.
A document released alongside Trump’s March order argued that some unions had “declared war” on his agenda and that he “refuses to let union obstruction interfere with his efforts to protect Americans and our national interests.”
