UE Political Action Updates

Both the U. S. Senate and House of Representatives are moving quickly to produce a Medicare reform bill before the summer Congressional recess. Pressure has been building over the past two decades to grapple with the problems and shortcomings associated with Medicare, the federal program providing health insurance for retired Americans. Medicare benefits have deteriorated in recent years, costs have skyrocketed, and the lack of any prescription drug coverage for seniors is an ongoing national disgrace.

President Bush signed his tax cut bill into law on May 28th, just hours after Congress passed the bill to reduce taxes by more than $350 billion dollars. The House of Representatives passed the legislation by a 231-200 vote, followed by a razor-thin 51-50 Senate margin. It even became necessary to bring Vice President Dick Cheney out of seclusion to provide the tie-breaking vote in the U.S. Senate. Despite record-breaking federal and state budget deficits the tax cut bill was passed on a party-line vote with only 9 Democrats supporting it and 4 Republicans opposing it.

Very quietly, President Bush and Congressional Republicans have launched a renewed attack on overtime pay and paid time-off. Legislation is moving through the U.S. House of Representatives (HR.1119) and Senate (S.319) that would slash the wages and working conditions of tens of millions of working people. The legislation would end the current guarantee of time-and-a-half pay after 40 hours in one week, and provide employers with the ability to force workers to “earn” their vacation, sick, and personal time by working overtime and using the new “comp-time” leave.

Working people all across the United States and the world continue to raise their voices against the looming Bush war in the Middle East. As the U.S. economy continues to slide - and gasoline prices rise - a growing tide of union voices are calling on President Bush to call-off his apparently imminent attack on Iraq.