House Committee Passes HR Policy-Backed Amendment to Limit Blacklisting Executive Order

Employee Relations, Employment Law

This week, the House Armed Services Committee voted to prohibit President Obama's Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order (a.k.a. "Blacklisting") from applying to the Department of Defense and the National Nuclear Security Administration.  The HR Policy-supported amendment, which was offered by Rep. John Kline (R-MN) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) during a markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2017 (NDAA), passed on a recorded vote of 34 to 28.  Rep. Kline, who in addition to serving on the Armed Services Committee is chair of the Education and the Workforce Committee, said the executive order is harmful and redundant, and “adds an entirely new layer of bureaucracy onto a federal acquisition and contracting process already plagued by delays and inefficiencies.”  The focus now moves to the Senate Armed Services Committee where Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) may introduce an amendment to the Senate's version of the NDAA, which is scheduled for markup beginning May 9th.  Importantly, the NDAA is considered a "must pass" bill that has never been vetoed.  The House is currently expected to bring the NDAA up for a floor vote the week of May 10th and proponents of the executive order are expected to offer an amendment to strip the provision from the bill at that time.  HR Policy will join its business community allies in lobbying against the amendment if it is offered.