Rep. Tim Scott says a House-passed bill to limit the reach of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is not anti-union, but is a measure aimed at reducing how much control government can have over public-sector business.
The South Carolina Republican also told Fox News’ Neal Cavuto Thursday he believes there are enough votes in the Democratic-controlled House to pass the legislation and bring it to President Barack Obama’s desk.
The bill was introduced to counter an NLRB suit that alleges that Boeing punished union workers in Washington state for past strikes by opening a new plant in right-to-work South Carolina.
Boeing denies the allegations, and the aircraft giant has received wide-ranging GOP support, including from South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. The bill limiting NLRB control passed in the House Thursday.
“My hope is that with
Senator Jim DeMint and other folks getting involved in the Senate that this has an opportunity to get a vote on the floor of the Senate,” Scott said. “And if it does, I believe that there will be enough senators on the Democratic side to support this bill because it really is not an anti-union bill — it is absolutely an anti-federal government overreach bill.”
Cavuto noted that the NLRB is considered an independent agency and any legislative or legal efforts to curb the board’s power might be for naught.
“I say that is a false argument,” Scott said. “This case has not come to its final adjudication and, therefore, we have an opportunity to continue to work towards having a legislative solution to a problem that is created because of the regulatory environment.
“I absolutely believe that the NLRB [is] showing favoritism towards unions and towards things that they believe strengthens the president`s re-election campaign, from my perspective,” he said. “Ultimately what would happen is that there is a process that would take multiple years in the worst-case scenario that would cost the Boeing Company millions upon millions of dollars, which means that we are now destroying more American jobs.”
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