Below is a statement from F. Vincent Vernuccio, senior fellow for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and policy advisor for Workers for Opportunity, on the draft of the Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act, which is expected to be introduced by U.S. House Democrats later today. The act is a counterproposal for the current stimulus package.

Today, House Democrats introduced an over 1,400-page bill loaded with provisions that tie funding to a grab bag of policies that have nothing to do with the coronavirus or helping the economy. The bill is a giveaway to unions and seems to prioritize labor reforms Democrats have failed to pass in Congress. Airlines that take stimulus funding would have to give unions a seat on their board, for example. They would also have to sign away their First Amendment rights and not talk to their employees about unionization. There's even a $15.00 minimum wage mandate for companies seeking relief, for both employees and independent contractors and a bailout of union pension funds.
 
Congress needs to be focused on the health of Americans and limiting the damage the virus is causing.

Negotiations are ongoing about the economic rescue package but the health and economic safety of Americans should not be used as a bargaining chip. The Mackinac Center and Workers for Opportunity believe it should be focused on mitigating the direct effects of the virus on businesses, workers and citizens. To learn more about Workers for Opportunity, a project of the Mackinac Center, visit https://workersforopportunity.org.