The Senate Democratic Caucus has come out in force to end a pair of executive orders by President Donald Trump that terminated union contracts across much of the federal government.
On Wednesday, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced the “Protect America’s Workforce Act,” which, if passed, would nullify orders signed by Trump in March and in August that canceled collective bargaining agreements at EPA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other agencies. In addition, the legislation would resurrect federal union contracts that were in effect before Trump’s orders.
The bill is the latest pushback on Capitol Hill against the president’s targeting of federal unions, which are vocal critics of his administration. All 47 senators in the Democratic caucus have signed on to the bill along with Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the lone Republican co-sponsor so far.
“From the gutting of essential government agencies to the politicization of nonpartisan government jobs, there’s never been a tougher time to be a federal worker,” Warner said in a statement.
