Coburn Yields to Pressure, Backs Off FAA Shutdown Threat
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After intense public pressure and criticism, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) last night backed off his threat to shut down the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Senate approved a bill that will keep the FAA operating through January.
FAA spending authority was due to expire today and President Obama will sign the bill today.
Coburn was using Senate rules to block the bill, which also extends funding for federal highway programs through March, because he objected to some provisions in the highways portion of the bill. He agreed to address his concerns when permanent reauthorization legislation is considered and withdrew his hold on the bill.
Earlier this summer, House Republicans forced the shutdown of the FAA when they refused to vote for a clean extension that did not include provisions to overturn democratic union election rules for aviation and rail workers.
The shutdown that cost 4,000 FAA workers and 70,000 construction workers two weeks’ pay, halted important airport safety improvements and cost taxpayers some $400 million.
Coburn Blocks FAA Bill, 80,000 People Could Be Out of Work
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If 80,000 people are out of work when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) runs out of spending authority tomorrow, they can blame Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). Coburn is single- handedly blocking a bill to reauthorize the FAA that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the House earlier this week.
To meet the Sept. 16 FAA funding deadline, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is seeking unanimous consent to bring up the bill, which also extends funding for federal highway programs. Coburn says he will block the bill unless some minor changes are made in the highways portion.
You can call Coburn’s Washington, D.C., office—202-224-5754—and tell him to support H.R. 2887, the extension of FAA and highways authorization.
When House Republicans forced an FAA shutdown earlier this year, it cost 4,000 FAA workers and 70,000 construction workers two weeks’ pay, halted important airport safety improvements and cost taxpayers some $400 million.
Senate Rejects Move to Bar TSA Workers from Bargaining Rights
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Good news from the Senate: Today, senators voted 51-47 to reject a measure that would have prohibited transportation security officers (TSOs) from gaining collective bargaining rights.
The measure was introduced by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) as an amendment to the 2011 FAA authorization bill after TSA administrator John Pistole affirmed the TSOs’ rights to bargain earlier this month.
AFGE President John Gage praised the Senate for recognizing the value of collective bargaining.
AFGE thanks the members of the Senate who said “no” to this irresponsible amendment. Workplace rights improve employee morale, which will improve security, not undermine it. In fact, collective bargaining brings with it improved security for passengers. A bargaining agreement would lead to better working conditions, fair promotion and evaluation practices and safer workplaces, and in doing so, increasing morale.
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who voted against denying TSOs the freedom to bargain, pointed out that “most federal security employees, including Border Patrol agents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, Capitol Police officers and Federal Protective Service officers, have collective bargaining rights. First responders on Sept. 11, who not only risked their lives but gave their lives, were union members.
Senate and House OK 9/11 Health Care Bill
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UPDATE, 5:39 P.M. (EST): The House just passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act 206-60.
The Senate today passed a compromise version of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, after the main Republican senator standing in its way, Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), reached a deal with Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (D- Nev.), according to news reports.
Coburn had threatened to use Senate rules to block action on the bill.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says passage of 9/11 health care bill “is a solid victory for our country and the first responders who answered the call of their country and paid with their health.” Read the rest of this entry »
Short-Term Jobless Aid Breaks Republican Stranglehold, Obama Signs
After a nearly monthlong tantrum by Republican senators that cost hundreds of thousand of workers their unemployment insurance (UI), the U.S. House and Senate last night finally approved legislation to extend UI benefits through June 2 and President Obama immediately signed it.
But with unemployment still remaining at an official 9.7 percent and more than two in every five unemployed workers out of work for more than six months and more than five jobless workers for each job opening, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says Congress must pass a yearlong extension
so working families don’t face Republican obstruction and uncertainty every single month.
Senate Ends Republican Filibuster Against Jobless Benefits
Each day while Congress was on its two-week spring break, some 30,000 long-term jobless workers ran out of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits because of Republican Sen. Tom Coburn (Okla.), who blocked a vote to extend UI benefits.
Yesterday, the Senate’s first day back from vacation—and with more than 400,000 workers now out of benefits—Coburn was at it again, taking to the Senate floor to continue the filibuster against helping the jobless.
But by a 60-34 vote, the Senate told him to shut up and voted to end his endless diatribe against workers who are desperate for work. Coburn was joined by 33 other Republican senators who voted to continue the filibuster and block extension of UI and COBRA, which helps jobless workers pay for health insurance. Four Republicans and all 56 Democrats who were present voted for cloture. Six senators did not vote.
Coburn Can’t Take the Heat, Tries to Deflect Blame for Killing Jobless Aid
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Back home in Oklahoma, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn must really be feeling the heat from some of the millions of America’s jobless worked he shafted last week. Coburn, who blocked a short-term extension for unemployment insurance (UI), issued a press release making it look as though Senate Democrats blocked the extension and he was a helpless victim of the vote. He’s also sending out the same info to those who, like some AFL-CIO Now blog readers, sent him scathing letters for his mean-spirited move.
In short, Coburn’s spin is: Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
In fact, Coburn blocked the emergency UI extension bill, effectively killing it until after the Senate returns from break April 12. Some 200,000 jobless workers a week will now lose UI support because of Coburn. Worse, Coburn has said he would continue to block UI extension after the Senate returns.
Senate Republican Coburn Blocks Aid to America’s Jobless
The Party of “No” gets ready to strike once more against working families.
As Congress considers much-needed relief for America’s jobless workers and debates proposals to jump-start the economy, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) blocked a stopgap bill to extend jobless benefits, saying its $9 billion cost should not be added to the national debt. Coburn’s block means the Senate, which goes on a two-week recess today, won’t consider helping jobless workers until at least April 12.
From the New York Times:
As a result, some people who have been out of work for more than six months will at least temporarily lose benefits. Health insurance subsidies for the jobless will also expire. Republicans said Senate negotiations had produced a compromise that did not pass muster in the House.
Beware of the Big Lie Bill
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Opponents of the Employee Free Choice Act in Congress made their Big Lie into a bill Wednesday, when Republican Sens. Jim DeMint (S.C.) and Mike Enzi (Wyo.) introduced the so-called Secret Ballot Protection Act.
Before we go further, let’s clear up the bill’s false implication right now:
The Employee Free Choice Act would not—repeat after me—would not, take away the secret ballot National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election process if workers seeking to form a union wanted to use it. The Employee Free Choice would ensure workers made the decision of whether to select a union via majority sign-up (card-check) or via ballot process. Choice is good. That’s one reason why we called it Employee Free Choice—because it would enable employees, not management, to make the decision of how to form a union.
The alleged goal of S. 478 is to:
amend the National Labor Relations Act to ensure the right of employees to a secret-ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board.
