13 Republicans join Democrats to advance bill reversing Trump union order

Thirteen House Republicans joined Democrats to introduce a bill Wednesday night to overturn President Donald Trump’s executive order cracking down on federal worker unions.

The bill was led by Rep. Jared Golden, Democrat of Maine, who forced a vote on the measure through a mechanism called a discharge petition. It is designed to force a vote on legislation despite leaders’ wishes, provided it gains support from a majority of House lawmakers.

A motion to proceed to debate and vote on the final bill passed the House by a vote of 222 to 200. The 209 voting Democrats voted with 13 Republicans to advance the bill, which now heads to another House-wide procedural hurdle on Thursday.

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President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after speaking to troops via video from his Mar-a-Lago estate on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

If it survives a House “vote on the rules,” the final vote to pass the repeal will also take place Thursday.

Republicans who voted to advance the bill were Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., Don Bacon, R-Neb., Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Tom Kean, R-N.J., Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, Chris Smith, R-N.J., Pete Stauber, R-Minn., and Mike Turner, R-Ohio.

Five House Republicans had signed Golden’s petition alongside 213 Democrats: Fitzpatrick, Bresnahan, Bacon, Lawler and LaLota.

Golden’s bill is called Protect America’s Workforce Act and seeks to repeal a March 2025 executive order from Trump.

Rep. Jared Golden, Democrat of Maine, attends a news conference at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington on July 17, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Trump’s order blocked collective bargaining with unions at various federal agencies, including parts of the Departments of Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Justice and Energy.

It also affected workers in the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Treasury, Health and Human Services (HHS), Interior, and Agriculture.

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Successful impeachment petitions are rare in the House, with most majority-party lawmakers generally wary of openly challenging their party’s leaders.

But most Republicans who supported Golden’s measure are either expected to face at least somewhat difficult reelection attempts or have districts located in blue states where bipartisanship is expected on some key issues.

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Discharge petitions have also become a more frequent exercise in the House this year, with the Republican Party grappling with a slim majority that allows Republicans to lose just two votes on any party measure.

Republicans like Lawler, LaLota, Malliotakis and others have also been supported by unions.

The bill will now be debated in the House before a final vote. It must then be taken up and approved in the Senate and sent to Trump’s desk for his signature into law.