Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 88.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 842.

This bill would be the most drastic change to labor law this country has seen in the past 80 years. It would severely upend labor laws and change

long-established precedents at the behest of Democrats and their Big Labor donors and at the expense of hardworking Americans.

This bill would take away the flexibility of workers to choose their own work hours, place onerous burdens on small business, restrict the ability of employers to seek labor relations advice, and violate workers' privacy by giving labor organizations access to their contact information without consent.

This bill would also undermine the ability of States to choose their own labor laws by striking down the right-to-work laws of 27 States.

As a member of the Wisconsin Senate, I authored the right-to-work bill that became law. I can attest firsthand to what the consequences would be if these laws were struck down.

Striking down State right-to-work laws would force millions of workers to pay dues to labor unions without any say about how their money was spent.

I offered an amendment to this bill that would prevent union dues from being used for political purposes. It is yet to be seen whether Democrats will support union bosses or hardworking Americans.

Madam Speaker, this amendment that I authored would prohibit labor organizations from using union dues and fees collected from workers for non-collective bargaining purposes without the written consent of the employee. No employee should be forced to subsidize political positions they disagree with at the cost of employment.

According to the Center for Union Facts, 43 percent of union households voted Republican, yet 86 percent of the union political support went to Democrat candidates in 2016. Clearly, there is a strong difference of opinion between union bosses and union members on the best pathway forward, but union bosses continue to spend their members' money with little accountability.

Workers across Wisconsin and this country pay annual union dues to labor organizations in exchange for representation, not to line the pockets of the politicians. This amendment would stop unions from sending workers' hard-earned money into a black hole and ensure that the voices of workers are being heard.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment. Employees nationwide deserve to have a say in how their money is spent.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 682, the Reopen Schools Act, to get our kids out from behind screens and back in the classroom.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 1280 and defunding the police.

When vandalism and violence plagued cities across the country last summer, our law enforcement officers were the thin blue line protecting us. The violence reached communities from New York City to Portland. It even hit places in my district, and we saw our local law enforcement act heroically.

Unfortunately, as both the son and father of law enforcement officials, this bill is a step in the wrong direction. The bill substantially reduces due process for police officers, restricts access to needed equipment, and makes it more difficult to get critical funding.

Our law enforcement officers need more funding, not less. More funding will help our officers get additional training to deescalate conflicts and get more equipment to keep all parties safe. Instead of focusing on how we can help the police build trust in the communities, this bill focuses on how we can take from the police.

Clearly, the bill is designed to satisfy those that seek to defund and dismantle the police. None of this bill serves to build trust between law enforcement and their communities. Like every occupation, law enforcement has bad apples that must be held accountable.

Madam Speaker, I rise in objection to H.R. 1, the so- called For the People Act.

Contrary to the title, the bill puts politicians ahead of the American people and codifies nationwide election changes made last year that shook the faith of Americans in the integrity of our elections.

When Americans vote, they put faith in the idea that our system of government gives them a voice in our democracy. If this faith is betrayed and Americans become skeptical of their vote, the trust our system is built upon collapses, and they do not want it to collapse.

The bill would take us down this very path of losing trust by taking constitutionally granted authority out of the hands of the States and local officials and destroying the safeguards of election integrity.

For example, not only would this bill do nothing to address ballot harvesting, but it would take the practice nationwide. We have seen the irregularities created by this practice and how ballot harvesting allows manipulation and intimidation in several elections across this country.

In the 2020 election, this happened in Wisconsin, where ballot harvesting is not supposed to be permitted. In those instances, voter registration and absentee ballots were completed and collected in unsecured outdoor areas prior to the date allowed under State law.

I am also proud to have implemented strong voter ID laws during my time in the Wisconsin Legislature. Unfortunately, over the past year, I saw those protections steamrolled under the guise of the pandemic, allowing over 200,000 voters to submit a ballot without showing an ID.

This bill would permanently open the floodgates by forcing States to allow individuals to vote without an ID simply by signing a statement, effectively banning State voter ID laws.

As elected officials, we have a duty to maintain the faith of our voters in the integrity of our elections.

Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill.