Protect America’s Workforce Act (H.R. 2550) is bipartisan legislation introduced by Reps. Jared Golden (D‑ME) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R‑PA). Its goal is to nullify executive orders that stripped collective bargaining and union rights from large swaths of the federal workforce earlier in 2025 and restore those rights under federal labor law. Under current law, many federal workers are excluded from collective bargaining programs because of recent executive actions. The Act would reverse that, putting employees back under the Federal Service Labor‑Management Relations Statute and protecting their rights to union representation and bargaining.
House Passage
On December 11, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed PAWA by a vote of 231‑195, with 20 Republicans joining all Democrats in support. Passage came after a bipartisan discharge petition, a relatively rare procedural move, garnered enough signatures to force a floor vote even without full party leadership backing.
Bipartisan & Union Support
Lawmakers from both parties helped move the bill, and major federal unions applauded the House vote, urging swift Senate action. Union leaders describe the bill as critical to protecting workers from arbitrary restrictions and restoring dignity and bargaining power.
Which Executive Orders It Targets
PAWA would invalidate executive orders issued in 2025 that excluded certain agencies from collective bargaining rules, a step critics described as anti‑union and unprecedented in scale. Those EO actions had affected roughly 600,000 to 1 million federal employees, including in agencies like the VA and Defense.
Current Status & What’s Next
After House passage, the bill is now pending in the Senate. Its prospects there are uncertain, given party control and procedural hurdles (e.g., filibuster thresholds). Meanwhile, unions have also pursued court challenges against the executive orders directly. The judicial process is ongoing in parallel.
Why It Matters
The legislation represents a response to presidential labor policy, touching on core issues of federal workforce rights, union representation, and congressional authority over federal employment standards. If enacted, it would roll back significant changes to collective bargaining that occurred without legislative approval.
