Nearly two dozen House Republicans joined Democrats Thursday to pass a bill restoring collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees, reversing an executive order President Donald Trump issued earlier this year. The measure passed the chamber 231-195 after bypassing GOP leadership through a bipartisan “discharge” tactic—a method increasingly used by Republicans frustrated with chamber dysfunction.
The bill still requires Senate approval to become law but saw support from 20 Republicans, marking one of the first formal rebukes of the president’s executive orders during his second term. Trump’s March order aimed to end collective bargaining for employees at agencies with national security missions, including those in the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.
Trump asserted authority under a 1978 law to revoke these rights. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a co-sponsor of the bill, stated on the floor: “Reinstating these rights is not a concession; it is a commitment — a commitment to treat federal workers with dignity, to reinforce a resilient public service, and to honor the commitment of the men and women who show up for the American people every single day.”
The executive order targeted roughly 600,000 federal employees represented by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), including those in national security agencies. The AFGE has challenged the move in court, arguing it is illegal and retaliatory. In May, an appeals court allowed the administration to proceed with the executive order while the lawsuit continues.
In a post-vote statement, the AFGE praised the bill as a “seismic victory,” with its president, Everett Kelley, thanking members of Congress who voted for it. The AFL-CIO also commended the vote: “We commend the Republicans and Democrats who stood with workers and voted to reverse the single largest act of union-busting in American history.”
The bill reached the floor via a discharge petition led by Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine). Such tactics have been used more frequently this Congress amid frustrations with GOP leadership, including efforts to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) supported the measure, stating it would help “public servants who have been targeted viciously by the Trump administration from the very beginning of his time in office.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) noted on the floor: “Earlier this year, an executive order changed the collective bargaining status. Every American deserves a voice in the workplace, and that includes the people who keep our government running and open.”
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), who switched parties during Trump’s first term, said he wasn’t sending a message to the president: “No message here at all. This is a New Jersey message. I got to take care of my people. And I’ve always been supportive of unions.”
The vote comes as some Republicans have grown more supportive of labor unions—a key Democratic coalition strength—following Trump’s lead.
