Congressman Bob Onder Introduces the Endorsement Transparency Act

Contact: Brooke Morgan

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Congressman Bob Onder (MO-03) introduced the Endorsement Transparency Act, which bans labor unions from endorsing a presidential candidate unless the union polls its members. The Endorsement Transparency Act ensures that union leaders can’t make unilateral endorsement decisions that counter the will of their members. 

“The Endorsement Transparency Act is an important first step towards restoring accountability amongst union leaders”, said Congressman Bob Onder.

“In the 2024 presidential election, the Teamsters withheld an endorsement for either candidate after internal polling showed that 60 percent of their members supported President Trump over Vice President Harris. At the same time, the United Auto Workers endorsed Vice President Harris despite a significant portion of their rank-and-file backing President Trump. 

“This is unacceptable. Labor unions exist to serve their members, not to serve the political interests of their leadership.

“This is part of a broader pattern within today’s Democrat Party - leadership that is more focused on advancing political agendas and personal interest over the well-being of the people they claim to represent.”

   -30-

Link to the full text of the bill: Endorsement Transparency Act_ONDER.pdf

Background Information

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has long been aligned with Democrat candidates, endorsing figures such as Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. Sean O’Brien was elected General President of the 1.3-million-member union in November 2021, ushering in a new chapter of leadership marked by both internal debate and heightened national attention.

In the 2024 presidential cycle, the union broke from decades of precedent by declining to endorse either major party candidate. Internal polling released by the Teamsters showed overwhelming rank-and-file support for former President Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris. An electronic survey recorded Trump leading 59.6% to 34%, while a phone poll showed a similar margin of 58% to 31%.

O’Brien characterized the union’s endorsement review as “the most inclusive, democratic, and transparent Presidential endorsement process in the history of our 121-year-old organization,” emphasizing that any decision would be guided by the membership. Ultimately, the union chose not to issue an endorsement, while openly acknowledging the strong pro-Trump sentiment among its members.

During this same period, O’Brien alleged that Vice President Harris personally pressured the union for an endorsement, recounting a tense meeting in which she urged the Teamsters to “get on board.”