White House in Brawl Over Weapons Workers

[Nambe]

White House - AP

The Bush administration is locked in a rare election-year fight with fellow Republicans in the Senate over a troubled program for tens of thousands of weapons plant workers who got sick building nuclear bombs.

The lawmakers say they don't understand why the administration is blocking a Senate-passed amendment to the defense bill that would overhaul a compensation program bogged down by delays and other problems.

"I can't fully understand what their resistance is," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who is in a tough re-election battle in Alaska. "We've been hammered by our constituents." ..

"These people are sick and dying," said Terrie Barrie of Craig, Colo., whose husband was sickened while working at the former Rocky Flats plant near Denver. "The administration, the Department of Energy, is just refusing to listen." ..


Click to sign “God is not a republican” letter.

[LauraK]

1. WHY aren't the Dems Screeming about this.

I feel like waking my Rep up.

[truthisfreedom]

2. why doesn't Kerry have a laundry-list commercial showing the bush admin's

consistent anti-worker positions, like this one, showing their lack of compassion and their consistent stonewalling of good, compassionate law presented by congress?

[tom_paine]

8. Good question!

<cue crickets chirping>

[KoKo]

15. Because we aren't supposed to talk about things like that...It's an

election year. We don't want to sound partisan. (hear those crickets chirping...)

[Judi Lynn]

3. There's one good thing about this article.

It tells us there are actually a few Republicans who can see the Administration's absolute indifference to working people and are almost human enough to want to do something about it.

From the article:

The Senate proposal would streamline the compensation process by having the government pay claims directly rather than having Energy Department contractors do it and later reimbursing them. It also would move the program from the Energy Department to the Labor Department (news - web sites) and require the government to perform environmental studies of plants.
The lawmakers complain the Energy Department has squandered much of the $95 million it received since Congress created the program. As of the end of July, the agency has paid only 31 claims out of about 25,000 filed. The $700,000 in paid claims amounts to an average benefit of roughly $22,500.
(snip)

Democrats are generally trying to steer clear of politicizing the issue.
(snip)

The workers were exposed to toxic substances such as radiation, heavy metals, asbestos and harsh solvents and acids while employed by Energy Department contractors. They often were not told what they were working with and did not have adequate protections.
(snip)

Congress passed a law four years ago directing the Energy Department to help the workers file claims for lost wages and medical benefits under state worker compensation systems. That reversed a decades-old practice in which the government helped contractors fight the workers' claims.
(snip/)

This is horrendous. Such coldness concerning the very hardworking Americans _Bush pretends he wants to protect. You bet he 's got their interests at heart.

Get him outta the President's office.

[steely]

20. Are turn-overs at the top an indication of anything?

The following people left DOE - one wonders if this is noteworthy or not.

18 Mar 2002, Francis Blake, Deputy Secretary of Energy – to return to the private sector.

2 Apr 2004, Beverly Cook, Asst. Sec’y for ES&H, DOE - to be closer to family members.

18 Apr 2004, Robert Card, Under Secretary - he has no specific job plans at this time and will have initiated no contacts with any company regarding long term employment until after his final day at the Department.

15 June 2004, Jessie Roberson, Asst. Sec’y for Environmental Management – “…personal family matters have required a change to my plans…”.

21 July 2004, James Glotfelty, Director of the Office of Electric Transmission and Distribution (OETD) - to return with his family to his home state of Texas.

[leftchick]

4. idiotface* does not care if people are "sick and dying"....

It could not be more clear. Wake the hell up bushbots!

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. The Bu$hbots should understand

He hates them for their freedoms, just like he hates everybody on this planet.

The guy has the world's biggest chip on his shoulder, because he knows no one would have even given him the time of day, if it wasn't for his rich and famous daddy. He has resented the world ever since.

[Hornito]

6. As one of those "sick and dying", who has been fighting the

government on this issue for almost 30 years, I no longer have confidence that it will be settled fairly, ....before I die. The Clinton Administration was the first one to really attempt to make things right. Bills were passed (though they were gutted by the Repugs), and signed. But, after Bush stole office, the programs slowed to a crawl. Quite simply, they are waiting for us all to die...

[Nambe]

7. You know this is how our returning soldier will be treated.

Billions for halliburton and none for those suffering.

[TahitiNut]

11. "Compassion" is cheaper when offered to the dead.

Agent orange, asbestos, mercury ... you name it. Even the obscenely low Bhopal settlement has been delayed for decades. Exxon and the damages to people due to the Valdez atrocity? Still unpaid.

[Pallas180]

12. It wouldn't be the first time "corporations" have done that and

remember - junior said he was going to run the country like a corporation - funny that, cause every company he ever ran went bankrupt -

[The_Casual_Observer]

9. It is more important to keep a lid on this and supress it

in the interest of "national security"!

[LauraK]

17. Our soldiers in Iraq don't need to hear this.

They might just walk to Vietnam.

[denverbill]

10. Sorry, but helping these folks might require money.

And we all know that money is needed to pay for Dick Cheney's massive tax cut. After all, the filthy rich need that extra money just as much as these sick and dying middle class people.

[Pallas180]

13. Has anybody written Edwards and Kerry with this info, especially

now to remind them - so they could make it part of the campaign,
and how important it is to vote for democrat senators and house reps

[Keirsey]

14. another example

Conservative compassion aptly demonstrated.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

16. So if Murkowski had NOT been hammered by her constituents

it would have been O.K? :eyes:

[LauraK]

18. Over 40 workers from the now closed Hanford plant are dying too.

They filed a suit against the DOD 12 years ago, to no avail.

[BeFree]

19. Dad died from mystery illness

Handled nukes for a lot of years. Military man, and all that. I take this as a personal slap against Pop's military career.

George, if the sheeple ever raise their heads up from what you've been feeding them, you will pay a hefty price.

[struggle4progress]

21. kick for protecting the nuclear industry at any cost

:kick: