The Wire

Reps. Rangel and Levin promise review of U.S. trade policy before “fast-track”

The White House is launching a campaign, led by President Bush, to push for new fast-track trade authority.  Not so fast, they're being told by leading Democrats in the House: 

The White House urged Congress on Monday to renew the trade promotion authority. President George W. Bush is expected to talk about the importance of trade to the U.S. economy in speeches on Tuesday and Wednesday in Illinois and New York.

At the start of a hearing on trade and globalization, Rangel said he hoped to work with Republicans, business groups, labor unions and other interested parties "to come up with something to make globalization less painful."

But Rangel also warned that the 2008 presidential campaign could soon make it politically difficult to come to a bipartisan consensus on trade.

Rep. Sander Levin, Michigan Democrat who chairs the Ways and Means subcommittee on trade, said it would be premature for Congress to act on the Bush administration's request to extend trade promotion authority before it has thoroughly reviewed the costs and benefits of current trade policy.

How members of Congress deal with fast-track will become a key issue in the 2008 congressional campaigns for Working for Us PAC.   

Posted by Staff on Tuesday, January 30 | 631 comments | Permalink

Bush wants fast-track trade authority that could prevent key labor and environmental protections

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow laid the groundwork for the Bush administration's first challenge to the Democratic Congress on trade issues.  Snow said today that the Bush Administration is going to push Congress to renew the President's "fast-track" authority on trade deals:

The White House urged Congress on Monday to renew key trade negotiating authority that expires in just a few months and said time was running short for countries to reach a new world trade deal.

"We certainly think it is important that Congress renew it," White House spokesman Tony Snow said, referring to fast-track trade legislation that requires lawmakers to vote "yes" or "no" on agreements negotiated by the White House without making any changes.

"It is an important device in extending free trade, and also allowing negotiators to operate effectively," Snow said.

The White House's current fast-track trade promotion authority expires on July 1. Bush is expected to need an extension to complete the Doha round of world trade talks and possible trade deals with South Korea and Malaysia.

This debate will play out over the next several months in Congress.   Trade agreements without strong labor and environmental protections have a devastating impact on American workers.  Working for Us PAC wants a Congress that provides more domestic jobs and stops shipping jobs overseas.  We'll monitor which members are talking about trade policies that undermine American workers.  And, we'll let you know.

Posted by Staff on Monday, January 29 | 2690 comments | Permalink

They work for us - and we won’t let them forget it!

Cross-posted at Huffington Post by Steve Rosenthal:

The November 7th elections were a watershed for America's workers. The tyranny imposed by years of GOP control has ended. That should end the string of anti-worker and anti-family policies imposed by the Republican Party and their corporate allies.

It should end. But it doesn't mean it will. Unfortunately, despite the best intent of the Democratic leadership, there will be enormous pressure from the GOP and their Chamber of Commerce allies to oppose progressive policies.

But...they won't be the only obstacle to progress. I know from too much experience that we'll find problems from a group of Democrats who have in the past voted against the progressive agenda - and will do it again.

Reining in the rogue Democrats has always been a problem. They stick it to working families, then expect a pass when elections roll around, figuring they will be the "lesser of the evils." And all too often they have gotten away with it.

That's why, with several allies associated with the labor movement, MoveOn.org and individuals from the progressive community, we have helped start two separate new organizations: They Work for Us and Working for Us Political Action Committee. Both groups will be on the hunt for Democrats who undermine progressive economic values and oppose the House Democratic Leadership's attempt to move America forward. These groups share a clear agenda that all REAL Democrats must support:

• Promoting a living wage for all workers
• Improving access to health care
• Fighting for more domestic jobs
• Defending workers' rights to organize
• Protecting retirement security, including social security, pensions, and personal savings accounts
• Encouraging sound corporate governance

That should be easy for Democrats. And, it will be for most of them. But, we already know that some Democrats will do everything they can to undermine that agenda. In the past, stray Democrats expected progressives to forgive and forget. Those days are over.

While there are no "targets" yet we will carefully scrutinize congressional activity in the coming months. Our website, www.workingforuspac.org will post information about the worst offenders, will establish "bloggers brain trust" for regular comments about members of congress and will ask our readers to nominate members who deserve "special attention."

TWFU and WFUPAC are not only going to name names, they're going to take action. Serious action. TWFU will be communicating directly with constituents through direct mail, e-mail, the blogosphere and netroots to keep the pressure on Democrats to support a progressive legislative agenda. No bad vote will go unpunished. And WFUPAC will add its own voice, but with the distinct goal of making sure that offending Members of Congress face not only bad publicity back home, but also truly progressive primary challengers -- well-funded, well-organized, well-prepared challengers.

It is a new day. The new Democratic majorities in Congress are working hard right now to benefit American workers. The House already passed their 100 Hours Agenda, which is an incredible start. But there's so much more to do. And, we expect Democrats to truly work for us. If not, those who vote against the progressive agenda should consider themselves warned.

See how you can help - visit www.workingforuspac.org today. The website for They Work for Us is coming soon!

 

Posted by Staff on Tuesday, January 23 | 882 comments | Permalink

Henry Cuellar lining up for this year’s State of the Union hug?

Last year at the State of the Union, President George Bush made a beeline for one of his favorite members of Congress. Their embrace was immortalized in a picture:

It was a Democrat: Henry Cuellar. Unfortunately, Cuellar is also a favorite of the right wing group, The Club for Growth, which asks people to join because "Our members support the Reagan vision of economic growth through limited government and lower taxes." Yep, Cuellar's a Democrat.

Wonder if Cuellar's already picked out his seat for this year's State of the Union?

Posted by Support on Sunday, January 21 | 403 comments | Permalink

Al Wynn doesn’t think Democrats in key House positions should actually vote like real Democrats

We always knew Al Wynn was conservative. His voting record is way more conservative then his district. In fact, in 2004, John Kerry received almost 82%, actually 81.8%, of the vote in Prince Georges County, which comprises most of Wynn's district. But besides his voting record, we didn't fully know just how much Wynn sided with the most conservative members of the Democratic caucus. But we saw evidence in a profile of Speaker Nancy Pelosi in The American Prospect from earlier this month. It exposed one more time the conservative leanings of Rep. Al Wynn (D-MD).

Pelosi had been particularly rankled when 16 Democrats crossed over to give the Republicans a 220-to-215 victory on Bush's Medicare "reform" bill just before Thanksgiving. "Medicare was her biggest disappointment," says Murtha, "though she may not tell you that." Rather than whine, though, Pelosi proposed a party rule change to give the caucus' Steering and Policy Committee -- a body the leader almost invariably controls -- the power to select subcommittee chairs on the Energy and Commerce Committee, a juice committee with regulatory powers so vast that members are able to raise large sums of money they can contribute to embattled fellow members or challengers. Having a subcommittee chair, in short, is one way to become a power in the House or to run for higher office. Pelosi's proposal tied advancement in the party to adherence to the party's positions on floor votes. As Pelosi put it, there are just three good reasons to break with the caucus: "conscience, constituents, or the Constitution."

One week before the caucus, two of its most conservative members, Stenholm and Cal Dooley, sent an open letter to their colleagues questioning whether the measure would just make representatives from conservative districts less electable by pressuring them to cast votes that could hurt them at home. When the caucus convened, Dooley and Maryland's Al Wynn spoke against it. Three caucus leaders -- Hoyer, Obey, and Henry Waxman -- argued on its behalf, noting that the reform didn't preclude breaking from the caucus if the vote was difficult in a member's district, but it did raise the bar for deviating. "Under Gephardt, you could just say it's a hard vote in my district and let it go at that," one member says. "Nancy says, 'No -- you'll have to come before the caucus and articulate a reason.'" The measure passed overwhelmingly on an unrecorded vote.

A leading conservative whose home county voted 4 to 1 for Kerry over Bush is just wrong.

Posted by Support on Wednesday, January 17 | 1115 comments | Permalink