Iowa Sen. Harkin Slams Anti-NLRB Hearings

In an op-ed published on The Hill, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) rebukes Republican attempts to convince Americans the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is somehow responsible for the down economy, and that getting rid of the board will somehow spark job growth.

Sen. Harkin asserts these attacks on workers will not create jobs and it’s time Congress starts focusing on legislation that will. “With working families struggling to make ends meet and Americans taking to the streets to protest the growing gap between the haves and have-nots, it is long past time for Congress to start coming up with real solutions that will create jobs and rebuild a strong American middle class,” writes Harkin. “Unfortunately, it seems that congressional Republicans are still more interested in playing political games than coming up with solutions.”

Harkin says the time and attention House Republicans have devoted to debilitating the NLRB, compared to working with Democrats on job-creation proposals that Americans overwhelmingly support, is “astonishing.” “The House Committee on Education and the Workforce has held no fewer than five hearings this year specifically addressing the NLRB, but has not held a single hearing addressing any specific proposal to create jobs,” he writes. “The House refuses to take up the president’s jobs bill but is moving quickly ahead with legislation that would undermine the mission of the board — passing a bill that would make it easier for employers to retaliate against workers and moving a second bill that makes it harder for workers who want a union to hold an election and join one.”

The Iowan Senator demanded the House “get down to the hard work of rebuilding the middle class and moving America forward” instead of “pursuing this pointless and distracting political crusade.”

For a complete look at the article, click here.

Share and Follow: