Opening Statement of House Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (remarks as prepared):
We are here to consider H.R. 2587, the Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act. In an effort to strengthen the competitiveness of our workforce and help keep jobs here in the United States, the legislation prevents the National Labor Relations Board from dictating where an employer can and cannot create jobs.
On April 20, the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against The Boeing Company. The complaint alleges Boeing executives punished union workers in Washington when they decided to build 787 Dreamliner jets in South Carolina. Despite investing $1 billion in the South Carolina economy and creating jobs for thousands of workers, the NLRB’s complaint may force this private company to close its Charleston operations.
The facts of the case are in dispute, but one thing is disturbingly clear: If the NLRB is successful, businesses across the country and abroad will rethink how they invest in our economy. The president’s nominee to run the Commerce Department, John Bryson, a former member of the Boeing board, recently noted the leadership at Boeing thought they were doing the right thing on behalf of our country, and never once thought of placing this new work overseas.
And that is what is at stake in this debate. Every day, employers must consider an array of difficult questions as they look to expand their businesses. No one should threaten a worker for exercising his or her rights under the law. Like any company, if it is determined Boeing broke the law, they should be held accountable. However, punishing workers for the unlawful action of an employer is simply unconscionable. Creating an environment hostile to American job creation at a time when 14 million workers are unemployed is unacceptable. We simply cannot allow federal bureaucrats to reverse the business decisions of employers.
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