Contrast In Priorities

Democrats Are Following Union Orders At The Expense Of American Jobs,

While Republicans Roll Out A New Job-Creation Agenda

OBAMA AND DEMOCRATS ARE FOLLOWING UNION ORDERS AND DELAYING PASSAGE OF VITAL TRADE DEALS
Forty One Democrat Senators Support President Obama’s Decision To Continue To Stall On Three Trade Agreements.
 “Forty-one senators -- led by Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.), Robert Casey (D-Pa.), Jeff Bingaman (N.M.) and Maria Cantwell (Wash.) -- sent a letter Monday to President Obama expressing support for his decision not to submit the pending agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea to Congress until a deal is struck to extend a long-term extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), with the 2009 changes.” (Vicki Needham, “Senate Democrats Support White House On Trade Deals Delay,” The Hill, 5/23/11)
“Translation: Hand Over More Than $2 Billion A Year To Its Union Allies Or The White House Will Block Trade Deals That Would Create Hundreds Of Thousands Of New Jobs.” (Editorial, “Trade Extortion Assistance,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/20/11)

Labor Unions Adamantly Oppose All Three Free Trade Agreements. “Several unions have drawn a bright line on trade for the Obama administration. The Teamsters, United Steelworkers and Communications Workers of America are among the groups saying they will fight to defeat free trade deals with Panama, Colombia and South Korea if they are brought to Congress… Several large unions, including the AFL-CIO and Service Employees International Union (SEIU), also oppose the three deals…”(Ian Swanson, “Unions Say No To Trade,” The Hill, 9/23/09)

Despite The Fact That The Trade Deals Would Boost American Jobs And Manufacturing

Former President Bill Clinton: “I Think It’s Terrible That We Haven’t Already Done This Columbian Trade Agreement.” (Bill Clinton, Peter Peterson Foundation Fiscal Summit, 5/25/11)

The Chicago Tribune: “[T]he Trade Deals With Colombia, South Korea And Panama Would Put Americans To Work. The Pacts Would Boost U.S. Exports By Reducing Tariffs On American Goods Sold In Those Countries.”(Editorial, “Road Blocks To Jobs,” The Chicago Tribune, 2/24/10)

The Los Angeles Times: All Three Free Trade Agreements Would Produce $15 Billion Worth Of Exports Annually. “Ratification would add an estimated $15 billion annually in exports, and the deal with South Korea is particularly important for California agriculture; exports of dairy, almonds, walnuts, pistachios and pomegranate juice could hit the $1-billion mark in the next few years.” (Editorial, “Free trade finally getting due attention from Obama,” The Los Angeles Times, 2/5/10)
The Washington Post:“A Failure To Pass The Colombia And Korea Agreements Would Be Bad News For American Companies And American Workers.” (Editorial, “Time To Trade,” The Washington Post,2/8/10)

The Washington Post: The Colombian Free Trade Agreement Alone Would “Improve Market Access” For American Exports. “But on Colombia, the case for a deal is especially strong -- and the case against one especially weak. ‘This administration will pursue trade agreements that are balanced [and] ambitious and improve market access for U.S. workers, firms, farmers and ranchers,’ Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said Thursday. This is a perfect description of the Colombia FTA: It would simply give the vast majority of U.S. goods the same duty-free access to that large, fast-growing Andean nation that Colombian products already enjoy in the United States.” (Editorial, “Time To Trade,” The Washington Post,2/8/10)

MEANWHILE, OBAMA’S NLRB CONTINUES TO BLOCK JOB CREATION IN NON-UNION STATES

Obama’s National Labor Relations Board Has Declared That Boeing Opening A New Plant In South Carolina Would Be “Illegal.” “At issue is whether Boeing, which is slated to open a plant this summer in North Charleston and create thousands of jobs, can legally do so. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) contends in a complaint recently filed against Boeing that the company can’t open its plant in ‘right to work’ South Carolina because the move is allegedly motivated by an attempt to avoid strikes and thus intimidate Boeing workers elsewhere.”(Kathleen Parker, Op-Ed, “The NLRB Fires A Shot South Carolina Can’t Ignore,” The Washington Post,4/22/11)

·       “[The NLRB] Filed A Complaint Demanding That An Administrative Law Judge Halt The South Carolina Plant (Set To Open In July), And Force Boeing To Move Production To Washington.” (Editorial, “Congress Vs. The NLRB,” The Wall Street Journal,5/4/11)

·       Boeing Has “Already Poured Billions Into The Facilities And Have Hired 1,000 Workers.” “Boeing, a vital U.S. company, wants to build a plant in South Carolina and bring good-paying manufacturing jobs to the state. They've already poured billions into the facilities and have hired 1,000 workers. But the NLRB filed a lawsuit last month to force Boeing back to Washington state, where workers would be represented by a union.” (Editorial, “Killing Jobs In South Carolina,”The Denver Post, 5/2/11)

 The ArizonaRepublic:“In An Era Of Anemic Job Growth, The NLRB's Attacks Upon Boeing And The States Will Only Generate Greater Uncertainty And Greater Reluctance By Private Industry To Make The Enormous Investments Necessary To Create Jobs.”(Editorial, “Right-To-Work States Bullied,” The Arizona Republic, 4/27/11)

·       ArizonaRepublic: “The National Labor Relations Board is making it clear to right-to-work states like Arizona that it does not favor companies moving manufacturing operations out of closed-shop union states.” (Editorial, “Right-To-Work States Bullied,” The Arizona Republic, 4/27/11)

 Denver Post: Boeing Has “Already Poured Billions Into The Facilities And Have Hired 1,000 Workers.” “Boeing, a vital U.S. company, wants to build a plant in South Carolina and bring good-paying manufacturing jobs to the state. They've already poured billions into the facilities and have hired 1,000 workers. But the NLRB filed a lawsuit last month to force Boeing back to Washington state, where workers would be represented by a union.” (Editorial, “Killing Jobs In South Carolina,” The Denver Post, 5/2/11)

Bill Gould, Chairman Of The NLRB During The Clinton Administration Says “The Boeing Case Is Unprecedented … I Don’t Agree With What The General Counsel Has Done In The Boeing Case.” “’The Boeing case is unprecedented,’ he says. ‘I agree with much of what this board has done and is likely to do, but I don't agree with what the general counsel has done in the Boeing case.” (Dave Weigel, “Air Rage,” Slate, 5/17/11)

ALL WHILE REPUBLICANS ARE PROMOTING JOB-CREATING POLICIES

The Republican Job Plan Calls For Lower Taxes, More Domestic Energy Production, More Help To Entrepreneurs And Less Regulation. “The plan includes a 25% top tax rate on corporations and individuals, compared with the current 35%, as well as higher domestic-energy production, new curbs on government regulations and overhauls of U.S. patent and visa systems to help entrepreneurs and high-tech firms.” (John D. McKinnon And Gerald F. Seib, “GOP Moves To Reset Debate,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/26/11)

And Promotes The Passage Of The Free Trade Agreements. “The House GOP plan released today also advocates passage of free-trade agreements with Colombia and Panama, as well as South Korea, an agreement that Gov. Bob McDonnell also supports and discussed with the Korean president on his recent trade mission to the region.” (Olympia Meola, “House GOP Rolls Out Plan To Increase Job Growth” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5/26/11)

Source: Republican National Committee Research, www.gop.com