More than a dozen Republicans defied President Donald Trump on Wednesday by joining Democrats in voting for a bill to nullify a major executive order.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 222-200 to advance a bill that would overturn a major executive order issued by Trump in March 2025, which stripped collective bargaining rights from roughly one million federal workers.
Democratic Representative Jared Golden, who led the bill, forced a vote on it by using a mechanism known as a discharge petition. The Congressional procedure means lawmakers can vote on a piece of legislation against the wishes of the leadership on the condition that it has majority support in the House.
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment via email outside of regular business hours.
Why It Matters
The bill, called the Protect America’s Workforce Act (PAWA), seeks to restore union rights for employees at agencies central to national security, healthcare, and veterans’ affairs, many of whom are veterans themselves.
Trump’s executive banned collective bargaining within multiple federal agencies, including parts of the Departments of Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Justice, and Energy, as well as some workers in Homeland Security, Treasury, HHS, Interior, and Agriculture.
Federal employees, unlike their private-sector counterparts, already have restricted union rights: they cannot collectively bargain over wages or benefits and are barred from striking, but unions can negotiate on employment conditions.
What To Know
The House voted on Wednesday to move Golden’s bill forward, setting up a debate and a final vote on the measure.
It gathered support from nearly the entire Democratic caucus and five Republican co-sponsors: Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, Representative Don Bacon, Representative Rob Bresnahan, Representative Nick LaLota, and Representative Mike Lawler, with an additional four GOP co-sponsors who did not sign the petition.
In total, 13 Republicans voted with Democrats to move the bill forward, defying their party’s leadership. They were: Jeff Van Drew, Nicole Malliotakis, LaLota, Fitzpatrick, Bresnahan, Bacon, Lawler, Tom Kean, Ryan Mackenzie, Zach Nunn, Chris Smith, Pete Stauber, and Mike Turner.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
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