Sen. Lee Reintroduces Protecting American Jobs Act

March 22, 2021

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) today reintroduced the Protecting American Jobs Act, a bill that would strip the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of its power to prosecute and adjudicate labor disputes.
 
The NLRB, an independent federal agency consisting of five political appointees, was established to carry out the National Labor Relations Act. However, it has historically ignored traditional standards of due process, operated under lengthy and bureaucratic procedures, and caved to political pressures. 

The Protecting American Jobs Act would transfer the power to hear labor disputes back to federal courts, in line with the court system established by the Constitution. The NLRB would retain the power to conduct investigations, but would not be allowed to prosecute them.
 
“For far too long the NLRB has acted as judge, jury, and executioner, for labor disputes in this country,” Sen. Lee said. “The havoc they have wrought by upsetting decades of established labor law has cost countless jobs. This common sense legislation would finally restore fairness and accountability to our nation’s labor laws."
 
The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) has introduced companion legislation in the House.

See below for outside support:

“For decades, whenever Big Labor controls the White House, the NLRB has been wielded as a taxpayer-funded union organizing tool. The NLRB is not a department of the Executive Branch.  It is supposed to be a quasi-judicial, independent agency, and it was given the privilege of making binding, judicial rulings. Unfortunately, given the Board’s repeated failure to remain independent, it’s time for that privilege to be revoked. We are proud to stand with Senator Lee and Congressman Scott in the fight to protect workers and return judicial authority to the courts, where it belongs.”
Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Committee