Monday, December 06, 2010

Congress—lame duck session’s union power grab


From: Right to Work Committee
December 2010
http://www.righttoworkcommittee.org/

“The moment has arrived.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid just announced that tomorrow he will file a cloture petition, setting up a Wednesday vote to cut off debate on the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Bill (S. 3991), according to yesterday’s “Roll Call.’

Concerned citizens like you have repeatedly stalled various versions of this union boss power grab in the Reid-Pelosi Congress, but this is the most important battle yet.

With newly elected pro-Right to Work Congressmen and Senators set to take office in January, the ‘lame duck’ session is Harry Reid’s last chance to pay back his union boss benefactors by handing them virtually every police officer’s and firefighter’s paycheck on a silver platter.

Last week Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) inadvertently exposed the additional dangers of the ‘lame duck’ session, a time when she and other U.S. Senators are hoping you aren’t paying attention.



[From http://www.capwiz.com/nrtwc/issues/alert/?alertid=20238506

“Newest Sneak-Play by Harry Reid—Union Boss Payback

Reid has reintroduced his federal mandate of forced unionism for state employees.

When the Police-Fire Fighter Forced Unionism Bill was first introduced, it was given U.S. Senate Bill Number S. 1611.

Reid reintroduced it as S. 3194.

Reid even tried to sneak it in as an amendment: S. Amendment 4174.

Now, Reid has again introduced this bill to force first responders into the control of union bosses and the new bill number is S. 3991.

Former SEIU Political Boss Anna Burger said that SEIU plans to ‘build off the police and firefighters real chance to gain a national collective bargaining law, and create a national collective bargaining standard for all public workers.’

Please Act Now!

The video below captures Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) doing Harry Reid’s work on the Senate floor and introducing the new Police Fire Fighters Forced Monopoly Bargaining Bill.” (posted above for this post—my addition)]

That may be all you need to know about this bill in order to take action now to let your senators know that they should oppose this bill. It is Big Labor’s opportunity to usurp state authority and supplant it with a federal mandate.

If you would like further information, please click to see the NRTW Fact Sheet.

http://www.nrtwc.org/FactSheets/PSMBFactSheet.pdf

[From the Fact Sheet:

“5) This Legislation will decimate volunteer fire departments. Many volunteer fire departments are anchored by one or two professional firefighters, working with, and helping train, the rest of the volunteers. The International Association of Firefighters’ (IAFF) constitution forbids its members from working as or with volunteer firefighters.”

(Morton, my home town, has a volunteer fire department—my addition.)]

Just enter your zip code in the box below or above and your senators’ email contact forms will be available for you to contact them immediately.

But when Kay Hagan moved to put S. 3991 on the Senate calendar despite pledging she would oppose the bill, outraged North Carolinians blasted her Capitol Hill office with phone calls and emails.

A member of Hagan’s staff later revealed that she now plans to vote for cloture but against final passage of the bill—a cynical trick to snooker North Carolina residents.

After yet more intense pressure from outraged constituents, another staffer began denying that revelation.

The lesson is crystal clear.

Your phone calls, faxes and emails make a difference. And you and I must be especially vigilant now, with the vote just days away.

Please, stay tuned. Your action in the next few days will be critical.

Sincerely,

Mark Mix”

The following Senators are the “soft underbelly” of the Democratic Party in the Senate. Defeated/retiring lame duck Senators have nothing to fear from the electorate unless they plan to run for election in the future. In contrast, Senators who are up for reelection in the next election cycle begin to pay closer attention to the will of the people to increase their likelihood to get re-elected—particularly after the disastrous results of 2010 for Democrats who were out of touch with their constituency.

From my November 10, 2010 post

Democratic Senators up for reelection in 2012—contact information

Notes: If an e-mail address is provided with this public information, I included that information. Most Senators provide an e-mail address on their website. Most Senators have more than one State office. I provided the phone number for only one of the State offices.

01) California—Dianne Feinstein (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—331
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-3841
FAX: (202) 228-3954
District Office: Los Angeles (310) 914-7300
Religion: Listed as Jewish
Occupation before elected: Public official
4th term, elected with 59% of the vote

02) Connecticut—Joseph Lieberman (listed as an Independent but caucuses with the Democrats)
Hart Senate Office Building—706
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.lieberman.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-4041
FAX: (202) 224-9750
District Office: Hartford (860) 549-8463
Religion: Listed as Jewish
Occupation before elected: Attorney
4th term, elected with 50% of the vote

03) Delaware—Thomas Carper (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—513
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.carper.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-2441
FAX: (202) 228-2190
District Office: Wilmington (302) 573-6291
Religion: Listed as Presbyterian
Occupation before elected: Public Official
2nd term, elected with 67% of the vote

04) Florida—Bill Nelson (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—716
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.billnelson.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-5274
FAX: (202) 228-2183
District Office: Orlando (407) 872-7161
Religion: Listed as Protestant
Occupation before elected: Attorney
2nd term, elected with 60% of the vote

05) Hawaii—Daniel Akaka (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—141
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.akaka.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-6361
FAX: (202) 224-2126
District Office: Honolulu (808) 522-8970
Religion: Listed as Congregationalist
Occupation before elected: School Principal
4th term, elected with 61% of the vote

06) Maryland—Benjamin Cardin (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—509
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.cardin.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-4524
FAX: (202) 224-1651
District Office: Baltimore (410) 962-4436
Religion: Listed as Jewish
Occupation before elected: Attorney
1st term, elected with 54% of the vote

07) Minnesota—Amy Klobuchar (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—302
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-3244
FAX: (202) 228-2186
District Office: Minneapolis (612) 727-5220
Religion: Listed as Christian
Occupation before elected: Attorney, Prosecutor
1st term, elected with 58% of the vote

08) Missouri—Claire McCaskill (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—717
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-6154
FAX: (202) 228-6326
District Office: St. Louis (314) 367-1364
Religion: Listed as Catholic
Occupation before elected: Attorney
1st term, elected with 50% of the vote

09) Nebraska—Ben Nelson (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—720
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.bennelson.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-6551
FAX: (202) 228-0012
District Office: Lincoln (402) 441-4600
Religion: Listed as Methodist
Occupation before elected: Attorney
2nd term, elected with 64% of the vote

10) New Jersey—Robert Menendez (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—528
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.menendez.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-4744
FAX: (202) 228-2197
District Office: Newark (973) 645-3030
Religion: Listed as Catholic
Occupation before elected: Attorney
2nd term, elected with 53% of the vote

11) New Mexico—Jeff Bingaman (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—703
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.bingaman.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-5521
FAX: (202) 224-2852
District Office: Albuquerque (505) 346-6601
Religion: Listed as Methodist
Occupation before elected: Attorney
5th term, elected with 71% of the vote

12) New York—Kirsten Gillibrand (Democrat)
Dirksen Senate Office Building—531
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-4451
FAX: (202) 228-0282
District Office: New York City (212) 688-6262
Religion: Listed as Catholic
Occupation before elected: Attorney
1st term, elected with 62% of the vote

13) Michigan—Debbie Stabenow (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—133
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.stabenow.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-4822
FAX: (202) 228-0325
District Office: Detroit (313) 961-4330
Religion: Listed as Methodist
Occupation before elected: Training Consultant
2nd term, elected with 57% of the vote

14) Montana—Jon Tester (Democrat)
Russell Senate Office Building—204
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.tester.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-2644
FAX: (202) 224-8594
District Office: Helena (406) 449-5401
Religion: Listed as Christian
Occupation before elected: Farmer
1st term, elected with 49% of the vote

15) North Dakota—Kent Conrad (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—530
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.conrad.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-2043
FAX: (202) 224-7776
District Office: Bismarck (701) 258-4648
Religion: Listed as Unitarian
Occupation before elected: Personnel Director
5th term, elected with 69% of the vote

16) Ohio—Sherrod Brown (Democrat)
Russell Senate Office Building—455
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.brown.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-2315
FAX: (202) 228-6321
District Office: Cincinnati (513) 684-1021
Religion: Listed as Lutheran
Occupation before elected: Educator
1st term, elected with 56% of the vote

17) Pennsylvania—Robert Casey (Democrat)
Russell Senate Office Building—383
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.casey.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-6324
FAX: (202) 228-0604
District Office: Philadelphia (215) 405-9660
Religion: Listed as Catholic
Occupation before elected: Attorney
1st term, elected with 59% of the vote

18) Rhode Island—Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—502
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/ Website
sheldon_whitehouse@whitehouse.senate.gov E-mail
Phone: (202) 224-2921
FAX: (202) 228-6362
District Office: Providence (401) 453-5294
Religion: Listed as Episcopal
Occupation before elected: Attorney
1st term, elected with 53% of the vote

19) Vermont—Bernard Sanders (listed as an Independent but caucuses with the Democrats)
Dirksen Senate Office Building—332
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-5141
FAX: (202) 228-0776
District Office: Burlington (802) 862-0697
Religion: Listed as Jewish
Occupation before elected: Educator
1st term, elected with 65% of the vote

20) Virginia—Jim Webb (Democrat)
Russell Senate Office Building—144
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.webb.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-4024
FAX: (202) 228-6363
District Office: Richmond (804) 771-2221
Religion: Listed as Protestant
Occupation before elected: Attorney, Consultant, writer
1st term, elected with 50% of the vote

21) Washington—Maria Cantwell (Democrat)
Dirksen Senate Office Building—511
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.cantwell.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-3441
FAX: (202) 228-0514
District Office: Seattle (206) 220-6400
Religion: Listed as Catholic
Occupation before elected: Businesswoman
2nd term, elected with 57% of the vote

22) West Virginia—Joe Manchin (Democrat) [I heard on the Rush Limbaugh radio show on Monday that, at least, some Republicans are suggesting that he change to the Republican Party since he ran as a conservative Democrat opposed to much of the Obama agenda. Earlier this year, one Democrat in the House did change. I don’t know if he will though since the Democrats still have the majority in the Senate—my addition.]

Because Joe Manchin was just elected to complete the seat of Robert Byrd who died before his term ended, I do not yet have contact information for him.

22) West Virginia—Joe Manchin (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—311
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.manchin.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-3954
FAX: ()
District Office: ()
Religion: Listed as
Occupation before elected: Businessman, Public Official

23) Wisconsin—Herbert Kohl (Democrat)
Hart Senate Office Building—330
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.kohl.senate.gov/ Website
Phone: (202) 224-5653
FAX: (202) 224-9787
District Office: Milwaukee (414) 297-4451
Religion: Listed as Jewish
Occupation before elected: Pro Basketball Team Owner
4th term, elected with 67% of the vote

If I counted correctly, of the 23 Democrats up for reelection, eleven are FIRST TERM Democrats and another 6 are SECOND TERM Democrats. This is a ripe field for the Republicans with work, effort, money, prayer, and good conservative candidates to pick up an even larger number of new seats than this year. Keep records of their votes against we the people and whether or not they actually support the United States Constitution as written. WE MUST keep the Democrats “FEET TO THE FIRE!”

We MUST continue the process of TAKING BACK THE NATION!!! The nation is at stake!!!