This week, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) slammed the brakes on a Senate bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), objecting to a change in the House version of the bill that fixes an inequity in labor law that makes it more difficult for truck drivers at Memphis-based Federal Express to unionize than drivers at other shipping companies. Fellow Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander (R) applauded Corker’s effort, pledging to “use every right or privilege I have as a senator to make sure that in the end of the process, the legislation does not include the unfair provisions singling out FedEx that’s in the House bill.” The senators’ effort to prevent what they call an “unfair” provision singling out FedEx labor workers is itself a contradiction because, as Jim Berard, a spokesman for House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) noted, the House language seeks to “treat people who have the same type of job equally under federal labor laws.” FedEx has successfully lobbied for years to remain classified as an airline subject to Railway Labor Act (RLA), a law that is technically supposed to apply only to airlines and railroad companies and stipulates that workers can’t form local unions. CEO Fred Smith — “who raised more than $100,000 for 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain and was George W. Bush’s fraternity brother” — defends this exception, adding, “I don’t intend to recognize any unions at Federal Express.” The language that Corker objects to would bring FedEx under the National Labor Relations Act like other shipping companies, such as UPS. Corker announced Wednesday that he will release his hold on the bill after receiving assurances from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) that the FedEx provisions would not appear in the Senate bill.
Tag Archives: public
Incorporating the Best Ideas from Both Parties
Posted by Dan Pfeiffer on March 3, 2010 at 11:16 AM EST
Yesterday the President sent a letter to Congressional leaders outlining four additional Republican ideas he’d be willing to include. These ideas were identified as priorities by GOP members attending Thursday’s bipartisan meeting:
- Combating waste, fraud, and abuse by engaging medical professionals to conduct random undercover investigations of health care providers who receive taxpayer money.
- More funding for demonstration projects of alternatives for resolving medical malpractice disputes, including health courts.
- Increasing Medicaid reimbursements for doctors.
- Ensuring Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are in the Exchange.
These four ideas are just the latest to be singled out by the President as promising ways to strengthen our proposal. And they join a long list of good Republican ideas that have been incorporated already. You can learn more here.
Republican ideas in the legislation passed by Congress:
- Advancing medical liability reform through grants to States:
- Extending dependent coverage to age 26.
- Allowing automatic enrollment in health insurance.
- Including mechanisms to improve quality.
- SHOP exchange for small businesses to pool and purchase affordable insurance.
- Allowing the purchase of health coverage across state lines.
- Offering a high-risk pool.
- Supporting proven employer wellness programs
Additional Republican ideas in the President’s proposal:
- Including a comprehensive sanctions database.
- Registration and background checks of billing agencies and individuals.
- Expanded access to the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank.
- Liability of Medicare administrative contractors for claims submitted by excluded providers.
- Limiting debt discharge in bankruptcies of fraudulent health care providers or suppliers.
- Using technology for real-time data review.
- Illegal distribution of a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary identification or billing privileges.
- Study of Universal Product Numbers claims forms for selected items and services under the Medicare program.
Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director
Share this:
Humpday wrap-up …
Today has been a long irritating, tedious and frustrating day or evening for the House and Senate members; the House is still in session the Senate just adjourned;on a motion to table extenders vote 54yeas 45nays … the debate on the 40 or more provisions continues Thursdays session
a $149Bil continues certain tax breaks and programs through December 31st
… stay tuned HR4691 includes some, all or part of the following: reauthorizes Federal Satellite Tv into law through 2014, tax extenders. Though Republican George Lemieux of Florida tried to insert a procedural maneuver to force the bill to be paid for entirely by subsequent legislation, it was defeated 60yeas 37nays as well as a one time payment of $250.00 was defeated by the Senate in a vote of 50-47 for Seniors. More provisions for Vets/disabled using stimulus funds, Cobra, flood ins and increases Medicare payments for Doctors for 6months will be dealt with on Thursday. Apparently, the Burr amendment has yet to be voted on as well
Learn more about Health Care
Bon Jovi Takes United We Serve on Tour
Posted by Jesse Lee on March 3, 2010 at 6:03 PM EST
President Obama’s United We Serve initiative is about to go on tour alongside Bon Jovi on the band’s “The Circle World Tour.” In collaboration with the Corporation for National and Community Service, rocker Jon Bon Jovi will be the first person to engage mass audiences in the President’s call to service at concert venues. The United We Serve initiative encourages Americans to get involved in community service to help the nation move forward.
Rachel Maddow displayed this absolutely splendid chart on her show.
The first bar is the impact on the unified budget balance of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) of 2001. The second is the impact on the budget balance of the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (JGTRRA) of 2003. The third bar is the CBO estimated impact on the deficit of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act proposed in the Senate on November 19, for 2010-2019.
Share this:
What the Recovery Act did for us All …
Just over a year ago, thanks in part to your organizing, President Obama was able to sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law.
The Recovery Act wasn’t a silver bullet, but it’s very good policy. It cut taxes for 95% of working families to give them a leg up as they fight to get by. It invested in our nation’s infrastructure and clean energy. it gave tax breaks to small businesses to help hire workers, and it helped out state and local governments — including local police departments like the one in Englewood, Colorado, which was able to hire officers like Eddie B., whose story is below.
We’ve got a lot more work to do. But as many as 2.4 million Americans are working now who would otherwise be unemployed, and we’re breaking the back of the recession.
We put together a video explaining where we were just one year ago, and what the Recovery Act has done for our country. Watch it here.
In the three months prior to the Act, the nation lost 2.2 million jobs. The financial system was collapsing, and the “Great Recession” was being recognized for what it was — the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.
But since the Act’s passage, Americans of all stripes have been able to get back to work. One example of what the Recovery Act made possible is the story of Eddie B., from Englewood, Colorado.
He graduated from police academy in 2009. Without the Recovery Act, he and his classmates would have had to wait for two years before being hired into the police department — but stimulus funds led to him being hired immediately. In Eddie’s words, “the President, with the Recovery Act, gave me the opportunity to serve my community and help the people I live with.”
The success of the Recovery Act is composed of millions of stories like Eddie’s — of folks getting to work who wouldn’t otherwise be in their jobs, families able to buy their first home because of the homeowner’s tax credit, and much more.
Please check out the video we put together, and pass it along to 5 friends:
http://my.barackobama.com/RecoveryVideo
Thank you,
Mitch
Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America
Share this:
House Speaker announces “Jobs for Main Street” legislation 12/16/09
House Speaker Pelosi, Hoyer, Majority Whip Clyburn and others announced a House Jobs Bill named “Jobs for Main Street” The 174billion dollar legislation was filed today and passed on 12/16/09 for the coming year.
The Jobs Bill should create more public service jobs, sustains the success of the stimulus, reduces the deficit, sustains the current job loss path toward a more positive result, will also sustain investments, boost construction.. infrastructure program; the following are all paid for by tarp funds …credit for small biz, the bill also allows for an extension of unemployment insurance and Cobra for 6months to help like public service jobs… teachers, firefighters and police officers.
In all the House worked on and passed the following items of legislation..
Defense Appropriations 636billion dollar bill was voted on and passed 395 ayes 30 nays,
Debt extension,
300billion dollar increase to the debt limit passed 218 ayes 214 nays would top out at 12.394 trillion dollars
The 174billion dollar jobs bill using tarp funds will also extend both unemployment insurance and Cobra for 6 months.
Be a Seed for Change 
You must be logged in to post a comment.