Democrat forces US House vote on Bush wage order

[UpInArms]

http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2005-10-20T233429Z_01_N20248882_RTRIDST_0_HURRICANES-WAGES.XML

WASHINGTON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - A Democratic lawmaker on Thursday moved to force a showdown in the Republican-led House of Representatives over President George W. Bush's order to allow contractors to cut the wages of Hurricane Katrina clean-up workers.

Rep. George Miller of California filed a measure under a never-before-used parliamentary procedure that would require a House vote on whether to overturn Bush's Sept. 8 order allowing federal contractors to pay workers in hurricane-ravaged states less than local prevailing wages.

Miller's maneuver under the 1976 National Emergencies Act requires a vote by Nov. 4 on an issue that has Democrats united and Republicans divided.

If Republican leaders fail to hold a vote on Miller's joint resolution by Nov. 4, the act allows him to demand that one be held within three days, according Miller spokesman Tom Kiley.

Because no one has ever used the emergencies act's "fast track" procedure to force a vote, Kiley could not rule out some unforeseen parliamentary obstacle by Republican leaders. But he added, "It's hard to imagine what they'd come up with."

...more...

Hey George Miller of California! :yourock:

[thereismore]

1. Nice one! nt

[rpannier]

2. My former congressman

I used to live in his district -- back in the 70's. He's an excellent representative.

[natrat]

3. faced with adversity, what will the pigs do?

change the rules

[Toots]

21. Or else just ignore the rules like they always do

What ya gunna do about it? :shrug: They have found they can pretty much do as they damn well please and no one (Democrats) will hold them accountable.

[eyepaddle]

22. Hang on, I'm not so sure it applies like that anymore

It started slowly, with a few senators voting against Condi Rice, picked up considerable steam when the Dems found a fight they couldn't lose (Soc. Security) and now with indictment-palooza and Krony-Katrina-Katastrophe happening simultaneously the dems just might start acquiring a taste for victory.

Better to take a shot at it rather than refusing to fight at all--because in the past we never fought well.

Oh yeah, the Miers implosion should a little more fuel to the fire. After decades of this BS it's awful nice to watch the 'pukes engage in a circular firing squad for a change. :)

[MaineDem]

4. Wonderful news! Thank you. (nt)

[MuseRider]

5. Very nice!

Thanks Rep. George Miller.

[NVMojo]

6. a courageous and honorable move!

[grytpype]

7. What is this National Emergency Act?

Sounds interesting, anyone know anything about it?

This might be a test case to see if the Dems can force a vote on something. If this works, the next time it might be something even more interesting.

[ClintonTyree]

8. Wonderful! Why do Republicans hate Americans?

Why do Republicans always want to screw the little guy and pump up the rich? I'd hate to be a Puke and have THIS on your voting record! Great move!

[Doremus]

9. This is why we're Democrats.

Way to go, George!

You make us proud.

[annabanana]

10. Hey Georgie Miller!!

[CreekDog]

11. The Bay Area should be proud of George Miller

He's smart and tough!

[highplainsdem]

12. Great news! Bravo, George Miller!

[krkaufman]

13. I can think of how they'd stop him.

First get a vote on the floor to cancel the Emergencies Act, thus snuffing the law Miller's leveraging.

[Miss Chybil]

14. Alright! This is the way Dems should act. No whining, just action.

If the Repubs shoot it down, they're hanging themselves. Good way to play hardball.

[ClayZ]

15. Good on you, George Miller of California!

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[Dr Fate]

16. This is the stuff.

Great to see DEMs united- and Republicans divided on an issue.

[Tigress DEM]

17. DEMs are smelling the blood in the water. Shark it up buds! We LUV it! nt

[nookiemonster]

40. Couldn't resist...

;)

http://www.sharkattackphotos.com/Sounds/jawstheme.wav

[RoyGBiv]

18. Oh, now that is good...

Put these bastards on record voting for low wages for common workers or force them to turn tail and run.

I LOVE it when our legislators actually take the time to read and understand the laws. And on that note, I'd like to point out something else. He came up with this today, but I'd almost guarantee he didn't know he could do it two weeks ago. He has most likely been searching, dilligently, to find a way to bring these bastards to account that has actual consequences for them.

I would love to have seen him at that "A-HA!" moment.

And for whatever staffer dug this up, :toast:

[eyepaddle]

23. Yes, that moment must've been a real triumph

Representative (or unknown staffer who figured this out) this one's for you :yourock:

[burrowowl]

19. Jolly Good!

Let's keep posted!

[Roland99]

20. Good to see the Dems with spines standing up!

[Gronk Groks]

24. Why is shrub's override of the Davis-Bacon Act immoral???

The law requires contractors of federally funded construction projects to pay workers at least the prevailing wages in the area where the work is being done.

"The prevailing wages along the Gulf Coast were already among the lowest in the country," Miller said in a statement.

That's right, the re-Thugs are trying to cut the wages of the LOWEST PAID WORKERS IN THE COUNTRY. Try explaining THAT vote to your constitutes!!!

[ihatekoolaid]

25. Wages

Wages should be paid to what the market should bear, no more, no less. Raising wages (ie, min wage requirements), has helped to put many businesses in jeopardy of closing. What do they have to do to counteract the amount of payroll they have pay each week? Raise their prices.. So everyone has to pay (including the ones that got the min-wage raise) MORE for the same product. Vicious cycle.. think things through before you simply say "yes, that sounds good".. alot of things "sound good" until you really start to break them down piece by piece. Simply paying someone higher wages will cause the contractor to have to charge more $$ for their services, and who is paying for said services???? YOU ARE, THE TAXPAYER, so your taxes will be HIGHER!!!

Think things through....

[Goldensilence]

26. heh

well fi businesses weren't so caught up with profit maximization and instead thought about something else like their workers things would be different. So as if these businesses aren't already allowedto charge whatever I mean how many of these contractors go no bid contracts? I can think of one...Haliburton. How about the fact that most of the contractors for the rebuilding aren't within the state? Yea that's a brilliant way to help out that area let's get outside business to come in, clean up and clean out any locally owned attempts salvage their own state. It's personally disgusting to me that workers are seen as the most expendable asset to any coporation.

I am sure as well koolaid that you probably still suscribe to the idea of trickle down econnomics. In reality it really should be ther other way around. Think about this little doozy. When workers get paid higher wages they get more money to spend on items and service taht are outside minimal requirements like...food,rent, etc etc ok ok hold on to your little corporate seat there....more money goes into the economy. So spare me the awww these POOR coporations having to pay their workers more. That's almost like hearing poor wal-mart is getting sued by all these female workers. Boo fucking hoo.

I still find it funny when any kind of socialist is called an idealist whose aspirations can't ever be met because they are living in a dream world. In return for that label I'l lsay well ok so in an ideal world were the ultra rich are given tax breaks and we stop doubling the taxes for them and remove inheritance taxes they'll create more jobs and help the economy by funneling that money back in. Looking on the past record of this joke of an idea. Who is living in a dream world?

[Ouabache]

27. the money for the FAIR WAGES is there

right in the contractors and the sub-contractors EXCESSIVE profits. Cut out just ONE of the sub-contractors, and the money is MORE than there. All this sub-contracting is a scam and a waste. Especially when so many of the original contracts were no-bid to a company still paying a salary to the current CORRUPT and VILE and EVIL vice-president, DICK CHENEY.

[Barkley]

28. Write George Miller and thank him

Congressman George Miller
2205 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
[phone]

[email protected]

[Fla4kerry]

29. Great information

THANK YOU for posting this. Will send an email to thank Cong. Miller as well. I hope it gets passed in November.

[harpboy_ak]

35. He was great taking on Dumb Young

Since I have been stuck for years with Dumb Young for Congressman and Tantrum-Ted Stevens for Senator, I used to have a bumper sticker I made that said "George Miller is my Congressman, and Paul Wellstone is my Senator".

That was because Miller was Young's nemesis on the House Interior Committee for years.

[DebJ]

36. I lived through previous min wage increases and it was NOT

inflationary and it was good for the economy. Have you lived thru them? This 'logic' is being used to keep min wage from EVER being increased...while prices HAVE gone up. I'd typoe more but only have one hand at moment due to injury on job...meat slicer...bny the way, I won't get any pay for lost wagwes...in PA, the first 7 days of lost wages are just that...lost.

[AnneD]

38. you are forgetting an important fact.....

many of those working in the effected areas live in the area (atleast before Haliburton's no bid). It was meant to put decent wages into peoples pockets so the could rebuild their lives. I for one think that is a good use of my tax dollars.

That old argument about wages causing inflation is bogus. Wages are usually the last to increase...ie. inflation has ALREADY occured before wages need to increase and at the rate they have increased, you are still behind inflation. The min wage is $5.15. Let me repeat that....$5.15 and it has been that since 1997. I think we have had alot of inflation since then---without raising the minimum wage.

I feel it should be up to at least $8 for min and at least $10 for a living wage. I also always hear the SA excuse that no one works at minimum wage but teenagers....Well I haven't seen too many teenagers in the drive through windows lately. I am always trying to find health care for these workers and their children and the numbers are growing.

I just read that unemployment in La is 11.5%. How about paying those folks a good wage to help tham rebuild their city and lives while providing for their families.....that's why the law was inacted in the first place

[I_Make_Mistakes]

41. If that were true CEO's would not be making 500-600% for less work

than their average employee works. (do a little research in the past 20yrs..yep you will be holding a lot of worth less capital notes) I have no idea if you even attended college or university, but if you did it would be enlightening to know where.

Your argument is fallacious from the inception. The market does not bear upper management raping and pillaging (cutting staff to the bare bones, not able to perform basic corp. maintenance) for corp. profits. The exec's. walk away, with a broken if not failed corp.

I know, my resume is filled with corp. 500, companies that don't exist anymore. If we follow your theorizing, the Chinese and India (Indians) will own this country in less than 20 yrs.

Live in your dream, that money in your pocket, it will be worth less than the paper it is printed on. What idealistic, morans spew, bs here!

[Nothing Without Hope]

30. This is good news. Here's some back story, older articles and du threads

on this issue:

Bush's move to lower wages for Katrina workers:
Here's a thread from Sept 9 on Bush's move to lower wages for Katrina workers:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1765780
thread title: Bush lifts wage rules for Katrina
Excerpt:

President Bush issued an executive order Thursday allowing federal contractors rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to pay below the prevailing wage.

In a notice to Congress, Bush said the hurricane had caused "a national emergency" that permits him to take such action under the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act in ravaged areas of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Bush's action came as the federal government moved to provide billions of dollars in aid, and drew rebukes from two of organized labor's biggest friends in Congress, Rep. George Miller of California and Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, both Democrats.

"The administration is using the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to cut the wages of people desperately trying to rebuild their lives and their communities," Miller said.

**************

Congressperson Susan Davis then moved to block this, as described and discussed in this Sept 16 thread (what happened to this Davis effort?):
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4798237
thread title: Congresswoman Davis: "Talk about hitting someone when they're down,"
Excerpt:

Congresswoman Susan Davis Moves to Protect Wages of Hurricane Katrina Victims

Davis Endorses Legislation to Block the Bush Administration from Cutting Wages

Washington, DC — With the total financial and human devastation of Hurricane Katrina still yet to be completely realized, Congresswoman Susan Davis moved to protect the wages of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Davis cosponsored legislation to rescind an order by President Bush that suspended the Davis-Bacon Act, which requires federal contractors to pay employees the local prevailing wage for their job, for counties in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and even Florida.

"Talk about hitting someone when they're down," said Davis, a member of the House Education and Workforce Committee. "While millions of Americans are opening their hearts and their wallets to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the Administration acts to undermine the ability for these victims to rebuild their lives. With criticism of racial and class insensitivity regarding the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, it's mind-boggling that the Administration would want to prevent workers from earning the prevailing wage."

The prevailing wage is the amount workers in a certain job classification, such as carpenters, union or non-union, typically make in that geographical area. The foundation behind the Davis-Bacon Act is that when the federal government spends billions of dollars of taxpayer money, that money should not be used to drive down workers’ wages.

A $29.8 million contract has already been awarded to the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root for clean-up and repair work in the region. Suspension of Davis-Bacon will allow the company to avoid paying the prevailing wage for that work.

The prevailing wages in the Gulf Coast region are already low. In counties like Orleans, the prevailing wage for a mason tender working in heavy construction is only $7.00 per hour.

The Fair Wages for Hurricane Victims Act will reverse the order of the Bush Administration and reinstate Davis-Bacon for the counties affected by the hurricane.

[Nothing Without Hope]

31. Another piece of this: they are bringing Latino workers in and underpaying

them. I remember reading about this but can't find a link - anyone bookmark one of those article? What I think I recall (but I could be incorrect) was that some were brought from Texas but many were from Latin America.

We need to analyze this aspect too - somehow I neglected to bookmark these articles and threads but they are important. Links, anyone?

The low wages were NOT to ensure more local residents were able to work, as the GOP claimed, they were to maximize the GOP crony reconstruction firms' profits. The poor Latino workers are routinely underpaid and they wanted to institutionalize this. It's also one more ploy for them to manipulate the racial demographics of the region, I believe.

[Nothing Without Hope]

32. Speak of the devi!!! - Halliburton subcon is bringing in illegal workers:

You can bet this is the merest tip of the iceberg.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1866425
thread title: Illegal workers allegedly hired for recovery work at naval base
excerpt:

Immigration agents detained a large number of illegal immigrants working for a Halliburton subcontractor hired to do Hurricane Katrina recovery work, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu's office said on Thursday.

The workers - numbering possibly more than 100 - were involved in setting up a tent city at a Navy base just outside New Orleans when they were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Wednesday, according to Landrieu's office.

The Birmingham, Ala.-based subcontractor, BE&K, was awarded the work by Halliburton, which won contracts after Katrina to repair several military bases in the hard-hit Gulf Coast region, said Adam Sharp, a Landrieu spokesman.

"It is a downright shame that any contractor would use this tragedy as an opportunity to line his pockets by breaking the law and hiring a low-skilled, low-wage and undocumented work force," Landrieu said in a statement.

I remember reading an article about how workers from Central America - I think they were Mexican but could be mistaken - were being used to clean up horrible toxic, rotting messes in the Katrina area. You can bet they were being paid a pittance and that no local residents were offered the jobs in any case. Wish I had bookmarked it.

[Nothing Without Hope]

33. ***JACKPOT!!! THEY HAVE SUSPENDED IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT!!!***

This is just zooming by under the radar - I only now found this thread, which didn't even make the Greatest page here at DU. (I've asked the poster to repost and I hope we will support that thread and bring it to attention.)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5109439
thread title: FYI - not only did BushCo suspend Davis Bacon, they also suspended {immigration-enforcement sanctions.}
excerpt:

Illegal aliens build new life among ruin

By JAY ROOT and AARON C. DAVIS
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS

-snip-
Welcome to the post-Katrina Gulf Coast, the nation's latest immigration magnet.

Lured here by the promise of fat paychecks and an emergency federal decree temporarily suspending immigration-enforcement sanctions, they sleep in tents, crowded hotel rooms and sometimes even in parking lots. They're hauling trash and cutting trees, fastening tarps to damaged roofs and tearing out wet Sheetrock from thousands of soaked buildings.

It started out as a trickle. But over time, Hurricane Katrina has unleashed a flood of immigrants - some legal, some not - into coastal communities from Florida, Texas, California, North Carolina and other immigrant-rich states.

Many are natives of Mexico or Central America, but some come from as far away as Brazil. Hundreds of Latino immigrants could be found last week crammed into the Best Western in downtown New Orleans, where LVI Services, an environmental remediation company based in New York, was packing them in three and four to a room.

Hundreds more LVI workers were staying at a Shoney's Inn in nearby Metairie, said company representatives in New Orleans, who didn't want to be identified for fear of losing their jobs for talking to reporters. Calls placed to LVI weren't returned.

[Gronk Groks]

39. Kick

Almost lost link

[Nothing Without Hope]

34. New thread on the related issue of suspended illegal immigration sanctions

Here's the new thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5129017
Thread title: BushCo. SUSPENDED immigration-enforcement sanctions against Companies

My hope is that DUers will add more "meat" to this thread and build it into a resource that can be used to help get the truth out. The bringing in - and minimal payment of - illegal immigrants is a companion issue to the infamous lowering of the minimum wage for Katriina workers, and it is zooming right under the radar as far as I can see.

Both Bush moves are disasters for the local workers of the Katrina zone, who cannot find jobs and would be underpaid even if they could.

[DebJ]

37. Lou Dobbs must be apoplectic at this point