Some Republicans are taking a stand against President Trump when it comes to the rights of federal employees to bargain. Can you believe it? Five House Republicans have joined forces with Democrats, signing a discharge petition aimed at overturning a recent Trump order that has taken away unionization rights for many workers in the federal government.
This bold move sends a clear message of defiance within the party and becomes a direct challenge to Speaker Mike Johnson, who has been hesitant to act on the Democrats’ push to bring this legislation to the House.
The Republican group backing this petition includes Mike Lawler and Nick LaLota from New York, along with Brian Fitzpatrick and Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania, and Don Bacon from Nebraska.
For those wondering, a discharge petition is a strategic tool that lawmakers can use to force a vote on a specific piece of legislation once it garners enough support—at least 218 signatures is needed.
Maine’s Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, a key advocate of this legislation, expressed his pride in the bipartisan coalition he’s help build, thanking the five Republican signatories for their support in an X post on Monday. He referred to Trump’s executive order as possibly the most significant effort to weaken unions ever seen in the United States.
Meanwhile, Lawler acknowledged his role as the final Republican needed to instigate the vote on this legislation in a post on X. He’s a moderate who has a history of supporting the rights of federal employees to organize. In fact, he’s gained several important endorsements from unions in the past.
“Restoring collective bargaining rights boosts our federal workforce, resulting in better service for everyone,” Lawler stated.
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 04: Next to President Trump and Melania Trump, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-OH) smiles for a photo after Trump’s remarks at an Independence Day picnic in Washington, DC, on July 4, 2025. (Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images)
Golden’s initiative to push the legislation forward comes on the heels of another impressive moment when four Republicans decided to follow suit and prompted a vote on the release of the Epstein files just last week.
In a rapid change of heart, Trump has now called for all documents linked to Epstein to be released. Meanwhile, the House prepares to vote on bipartisan legislation proposed by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna from California and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie from Kentucky this coming Tuesday.
The proposed legislation aims to reverse Trump’s March 27 executive order, which removed union representation for federal employees involved in national security. This decision affected about a million workers spread across 18 federal agencies.
“Certain Federal unions have declared war on President Trump’s agenda,” noted a White House fact sheet related to the executive order.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest union representing federal workers and vocal against Trump’s cuts, is backing this new push to restore the rights stripped away by the Trump administration.
“This bill has been d labor’s highest priority in Congress, and for good reason—it aims to reverse the most significant loss of collective bargaining rights ever encountered in U.S. history,” said AFGE national president Everett Kelley in a statement.
The White House has yet to respond to requests for comments from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
