Once thought an unlikely plan, it has gained steam in recent days as top leaders from the AFL-CIO and AFSCME labor organizations have voiced their support. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka recently released this statement about Sen. Merkley’s plan.
“Senator Merkley’s plan is the kind of common sense initiative that is too rare in Congress. We are in the middle of a jobs crisis and the last thing we should be doing is passing legislation that kills jobs. Senator Merkley’s amendment would help the Super Committee avoid proposals that kill jobs. We strongly urge all elected representatives of both parties to support this effort.”
Gerald McEntee, head of the American federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) echoed Trumka's sentiment:
“As the Super Committee embraces their charge to reduce the deficit by more than a trillion dollars; we urge them to embrace Senator Merkley’s proposal to report the jobs impact of their decisions. The Super Committee should focus on doing what’s right and get our country back to work. No more political gamesmanship that leaves struggling families out in the cold yet again. Investing in job creation is the surest path to an economic recovery that works for everyone, not just CEOs and huge corporations. Congress must put aside political differences and begin the real work of the nation.”
With labor supporting the plan, other Democrats are hoping on board. Merkley hopes that having independent analysis of the committee’s recommendations will force them in to a position where job creation plans are more likely to become the endgame. This would be an excellent opportunity for Congress to make the first steps to a bi-partisan jobs bill, something that is unlikely to happen as the GOP continues to advocate for a total government meltdown leading up to the 2012 Presidential election.
In an interview with Greg Sargent of the Washington Post, Merkley said, “We need to have every proposal that the super-committee brings out to have it scored by its jobs impact.” He plans to urge Democratic and GOP leaders to agree to this standard, and hopes to build a campaign to make it happen. His plan seems simple enough, but getting Republicans to buy-in to having the CBO review their policies, as well as intensifying the scrutiny of undecided and disenfranchised voters, will be tough. Merkley’s spokesperson had this to say about the CBO’s involvement:
An individual member can ask CBO for analysis on legislation. However, CBO does not have to handle those requests within certain timeframes or as a priority in the same way they will score the revenue impact of this bill. That is why the expectation of a job impact analysis and requirement of such should be there from the beginning as part of the Committee’s mandate — to make sure we get this information in a timely fashion for all members to analyze prior to voting on recommendations.
The broader point is — jobs, real world jobs, need to be part of this conversation. What Merkley is proposing provides a framework to do that.
At a time of stagnant economic growth it is logical to enable those lucky enough to still be employed to keep their jobs. The type of radical spending cuts desired by conservative Super Committee members -- like Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey -- are likely to affect entire agencies. Needless to say, it won’t be the people at the top losing their positions as a result. At a time when there is a public demand for Congress to do something, anything, Merkley’s plan seems elegantly simple and effective. But it will take a wholesale push by the American people to make it happen.
Here is a link to a petition that can be signed asking the committee to enact Merkley’s plan.
If the Super Committee were to adopt this plan it would strike a chord with Americans who are unnerved by their elected officials' neglect for job creation and focus on deficit reduction. Anything that helps job creation should be considered a positive. Merkley’s plan is ideal because it doesn’t affect the decision making capabilities of Congress, it only aims to direct their focus. It is a very civil plan that is unlikely to come to fruition unless Democratic politicians and the American people rally behind and demand it.
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