CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from Jan. 11, 2021.
The U.S. House of Representatives got heated on Tuesday as Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) made an impassioned plea for Republicans to help pass a union organizing bill.
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In a clip that made the rounds on social media on Tuesday, Ryan, who represents Ohio's 13th district (Akron, Warren, Youngstown, Alliance), can be seen making his pitch for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The bill, which was set to be voted on on Tuesday, has been described as "the most significant expansion of labor rights since the New Deal" and would eliminate "right to work" laws in 27 states.
"Heaven forbid we pass something that's going to help the damn workers in the United States of America. Heaven forbid we tilt the balance that has been going in the wrong direction for 50 years. We talk about pensions, you complain. We talk about the minimum wage increase, you complain. We talk about giving them the right to organize, you complain. But if we were passing a tax cut here, you'd all be getting in line to vote yes for it," Ryan said. "Now stop talking about Dr. Seuss and start working with us on behalf of the American workers."
Ryan's comment about Dr. Seuss came in reference to the Dr. Seuss Foundation's decision to cease production on six books due to racist and insensitive imagery. The decision has been pointed to by some in conservative circles as an example of "cancel culture" and has even led to sales of some of the books soaring.
Ryan, who launched a failed bid to run for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 general election, is considered a potential candidate for the U.S. Senate seat left open by Rob Portman's decision not to run for re-election in 2022.