Washington, D.C. — Today, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to block, through a resolution of disapproval, the implementation of the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order issued by President Barack Obama. Its protections—little-noticed but hugely impactful—require federal contractors to comply with existing federal workplace laws before receiving new government contracts. Under the terms of the Congressional Review Act, which requires only a simple majority and cannot be filibustered, full repeal of the regulations by both the House and the Senate could occur very quickly.
Karla Walter, Director of the American Worker Project at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, released the following statement:
The Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order promised to protect millions of workers and ensure that law-abiding businesses can compete on an even playing field and that taxpayers receive a good value for their investments. By moving to repeal these protections, House Republicans have announced their intent to harm workers, taxpayers, and law-abiding businesses by threatening wages, undermining workplace safety and protections, reducing contractor accountability, and laying the foundation for cronyism.
David Madland, Senior Adviser to the American Worker Project, added:
President Donald Trump released a statement yesterday making plain that he intends to side with big business lobbyists and against the workers he claims to champion. Workers, taxpayers, and law-abiding businesses will lose out if this resolution becomes law. President Trump is making it clear that his administration is appealing to the hard right-wing, big-business base of the Republican Party and will do very little to make workers’ lives better.
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Allison Preiss at [email protected] or 202.478.6331.