WASHINGTON - Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) today released the following statement after the House passed a resolution to establish congressional staffer unionization regulations:

"While unions play a vital role in many workplaces, including throughout my district, they just aren't feasible for Congress. In March, the Office of Congressional Workplace Right's General Counsel was unable to provide our Committee answers regarding how the unique office structures, fluctuating partisan balance, and unavoidable turnover due to elections would impact congressional unions. However, Speaker Pelosi advanced the resolution anyway, without giving Republicans the opportunity to provide input.

"One of the main concerns of staffers is low pay, yet collective bargaining would not and could not address the issue, as federal law forbids this. Instead, union dues would just take more money out of staff's hard-earned paychecks without really anything to show for it. Unionization also creates potential conflicts of interest that could impact a Member's constitutional responsibilities, including unique influence over Members' development and passage of certain legislation, and political contributions to Members using dues paid by their staff. As a reminder, under current law, congressional staff are not allowed to make political contributions to their employers.

"It's clear that unions don't make sense for Congress."

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