Mr. Speaker, that is the first time I have ever heard someone say that the 50% plus one rule is anti-democratic. Very few of the people here were elected by 50% of the voters plus one. I know I was not and that many other members were not either. Nevertheless, it is a bit of a stretch to say that the 50% plus one rule is anti-democratic.
I would point out that these measures apply to all workers, which is why the threshold has to be so high. I will not get into the Clarity Act, but it is clear that the 50% plus one rule is the gold standard for democracy. We must act accordingly.
As to whether asking unions to report expenses over $5,000 constitutes a massive administrative burden, all of the union members told us they had access to that information. If they have access to the information, they should make it public.
We think making expenses public is totally legitimate. Yes, democracy and accountability come at a price, but that is the price of democracy.