Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, today in the United States, 13.9 million people are unemployed. Nine percent of the American workforce is out of a job, worrying how to make ends meet. Nearly half are long-term unemployed, jobless for over 27 weeks.

These Americans are looking to Congress for help. The President sent us a comprehensive plan for job creation and this House has not acted. We have over thirteen percent unemployment in the construction sector and roads and bridges to repair all over the country and this House has not brought an infrastructure bill to the floor. Local governments are facing tough budgets and laying off teachers and police and this House has provided no relief.

Today we have a bill on the floor that will not create a single job nor help a single American worker. Instead, it will make it more difficult for them to assert their rights in the workplace and almost certainly encourage frivolous litigation.

The time we spend on legislation like this is time we fail to spend addressing the real needs of the American people. I urge my colleagues to vote no on this bill.

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