The Chamber

House Approves Bill to Limit Further NLRB Actions Without Quorum

In a close and near party-line vote of 219 to 209, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Friday, April 11, 2013 to pass crucial legislation to prevent the NLRB from taking any further actions requiring a quorum until the Supreme Court makes a ruling or new members are confirmed by the Senate to serve on the Board. Ten Republicans from states without right-to-work laws voted with their Democrat colleagues against H.R. 1120. 

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration, although the likelihood of that chamber taking action on H.R. 1120 or any similar legislation addressing the status of the NLRB is very low. 

To see how your representative voted, click here. 
 

House Passes Workforce Development Legislation 

On Friday, March 15, 2013 the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 803, the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills Act (SKILLS), which IEC supported. The bill aims to streamline and consolidate 35 different workforce development programs currently available across multiple federal agencies under one Workforce Investment Fund, eliminating confusing bureaucratic and administrative barriers and creating a single source for existing services and support for employers, workers, and job seekers. States would then decide how to allocate the funds. The SKILLS Act would further require that two-thirds of both state and local Workforce Investment Board members are employers, thereby strengthening the involvement and decision-making power of business leaders familiar with the employment and training needs and priorities of their communities. Lastly, the bill would also open up green jobs funding to merit shop employers, an issue which IEC has long supported.  

Click here to see how your representative voted on H.R. 803.