UE Political Action Updates

Washington

Working people are watching with growing frustration as the basic functioning of the United States Congress continues to deteriorate. Despite their large majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate, Democrats cannot muster enough unity to push aside the Republican roadblocks on any front. This sorry performance -- exemplified by the weakness and paralysis of Senate Democratic leadership -- has only emboldened the worsening obstructionism of the pro-business Republican minority.

The agency charged with implementing and enforcing our nation’s labor laws – the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) – has been limping along for several years without its full board of five members. Currently it has two members and is barely functioning. U.S. labor laws are already some of the weakest and least enforced in the industrial world and this situation is nothing less than an embarrassment and a disgrace. Corporate America is quite satisfied with this situation, which allows them to violate worker rights on an even bigger scale than usual.

As the situation facing working people continues to worsen across the board, Congress has returned to Washington to take up business for the coming year. The battle lines are clearly drawn; the Democratic Party majority remains disunited, paralyzed, and unfocused, while the Republican Congressional minority is absolute in its opposition to every single legislative initiative launched by Democrats. The only people unaware of this situation appear to be large numbers of Democrat lawmakers.

Washington, D.C.