Entire NJ Congressional Delegation Now Sponsors of the PRO ACT – Congressman Smith Becomes First Republican in the Country to Sign On

10 of 12 Members of the NJ House Congressional Delegation are also Sponsors of the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act  (Legislation Addressing the “Janus” Decision)

The New Jersey State AFL-CIO is proud to announce that all 12 Members of House of Representatives and both U.S. Senators from New Jersey are now co-sponsors of H.R. 2474 / S. 1306, the PRO-Act, which seeks to reform the nation’s outdated labor laws.  We thank Democratic Congress Members Pallone (D-6), Sires (D-8), Norcross (D-1), Watson-Coleman (D-12), Malinowski (D-7), Pascrell (D-9), Van Drew (D-2), Kim (D-3), Payne (D-10), Sherrill (D-11) and Gottheimer (D-5). Senators Booker and Menendez are also sponsors of the Senate version.

A special note of gratitude to Congressman Chris Smith (R-4), who is the only Republican in the entire nation to support the bill as a cosponsor.  Smith has long been a strong supporter of human rights and labor rights and has the highest lifetime AFL-CIO pro-labor voting record of any Republican in the entire country.  Congressman Smith was also an original sponsor of the “Employee Free Choice Act.”

Also, we would also like to thank Democratic Congress Members Pallone (D-6), Norcross (D-1), Sires (D-8), Watson-Coleman (D-12), Pascrell (D-9), Payne (D-10), Malinowski (D-7), Sherrill (D-11), Kim (D-3) for sponsoring the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act (H.R. 3463).  Senators Menendez and Booker are sponsors of the Senate version (S. 1970).  The bill seeks to address last year’s Janus v. AFSCME ruling that stripped public employees of basic rights inherent to joining and supporting a union.

Congressman Smith is one of only two Republicans in the Country to sponsor H.R. 3463.

Thank you to all of the affiliates and union members who reached out to their Members of Congress to ensure that New Jersey is strongly represented on these two pieces of priority legislation.