This is a beautiful moment in the progressive movement...which seems to be on a roll as of late. This is a day to kick the Republicans while they are down...put big oil in its place...gain strength from the utter weakness of the Republican presidential field.
TODAY, Labor and Environmental leaders from:
Natural Resources Defense Council,
Communication Workers of America,
Service Employees International Union,
United Auto Workers,
Transportation Workers Union,
Sierra Club,
United Steel Workers
have joined together, to proclaim in solidarity:
PRESIDENT OBAMA, YOU HAVE TAKEN THE INITIATIVE ON JOB CREATION BUT HAVE BEEN BLOCKED BY REPUBLICANS, AND WE HAVE YOUR BACK IN CONDUCTING PROPER REVIEW OF THIS PROJECT DESPITE REPUBLICAN ATTEMPTS AT BLACKMAIL
The Press Release is below the fold.
For release January 18, 2012
Contact: For Sierra Club: Eddie Scher, 415-815-7027,
eddie.scher@sierraclub.org
For CWA: Candice Johnson, 202-434-1347, cjohnson@cwa-union.org.
For SEIU: Tyler Prell, 202-701-5796, tyler.prell@seiu.org
For UAW: Michele Martin, mmartin@uaw.net
For TWU: Jamie Horwitz, 202-549-4921, jhdcpr@starpower.net
Environmental Groups, Unions Support President Obama’s Decision on
Keystone XL Pipeline
Washington, D.C. -- The Keystone XL Pipeline is a complex project
which deserved the careful consideration regarding its environmental
and economic impacts that the Obama Administration planned to provide.
In a cynical move, the House Republican leadership called for a rapid
decision on the pipeline in exchange for agreeing to keep the payroll
tax cut in place. The payroll tax cut enacted last year has been an
important part of efforts to turn around our struggling economy. While
the House Republicans wrapped job creation rhetoric around their
pipeline demands, they have rejected numerous opportunities to support
programs creating good U.S. jobs. Here are a few of the jobs
initiatives proposed by the Obama administration that Republican
members of Congress have rejected:
The House initially voted against again extending Unemployment
Insurance benefits, as well as against the measure to continue the cut
in payroll taxes. If the House action had held, the economy would have
lost 1.5 million jobs.
The Republicans are blocking any consideration of the Restore the
American Dream Act which would create/save 2.3 million jobs in 2012
and 3.1 million jobs in 2013 without offering any alternative that
would lead to direct job creation.
The Republicans opposed the extension of the Highway Trust Fund
which would create 100,000s of jobs and provide for critical
infrastructure repair.
The House Republicans allowed the funding for crucial modernization
projects for our airline infrastructure to expire, at the expense of
tens of thousands of jobs, to pursue a political agenda to hold down
wages and block democratic elections in the airline industry, the goal
of one corporation.
House Republicans rejected Obama administration initiatives to fund
jobs for teachers, firefighters and police, despite strong community
support for more responders.
A project this far-reaching deserved better than the “politics as
usual” strategy of a do-nothing Republican Congress. Their job
blackmail agenda is simply wedge politics.
Addressing global climate change, establishing sustainable and secure
energy sources, and creating and retaining safe and family-supportive
jobs are keys to a positive future for our children and grandchildren.
President Obama has acted wisely.