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Secret Ballot Watch

Will Democrats Go All-In on EFCA?

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 14, 2009 | Alexa Marrero or Ryan Murphy ((202) 225-4527)

The clock is winding down on the Obama Administration’s first year in office, and they have yet to pass the infamous Employee Free Choice Act – a measure that has proven unpopular with the American public, but that remains a top priority of the Administration’s staunch cheerleaders (not to mention financial backers), the union bosses. Apparently, the President and his liberal allies just cannot get enough of their own members to stomach another vote on an unpopular, job-killing policy.


But the president faces a conundrum. To get EFCA passed, he must lean on some of the same politically imperiled moderate Democratic Senators he’s pressuring now to approve a health care overhaul — and whose votes may be needed for climate change legislation as well.

Keith Koffler, “The Rose Garden: Card Check Promises a Gut Check in 2010,” Roll Call, 12.14.09


Perhaps it’s no surprise that things are getting tough for a Democrat-controlled Washington trying to pass an out-of-touch, big government agenda that is increasingly unpopular with the American people. What to do? 

On the one hand, the Democrats could finally stop betting on their job destroying trifecta of card check, a national energy tax, and a government takeover of health care. On the other hand, they could just double down and hope for some luck next year.


Labor officials have been in intensive discussions with Senate Democratic leaders about the issue. According to one labor source, union presidents will huddle with Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday, and card check, along with the health care bill now on the Senate floor, will be on the agenda.

Democratic aides seem unsure of the timing for the bill, despite the expectations of labor sources.

There will be an “awful busy start to next year,” a senior Democratic leadership aide said. The unions “have a long list of ideas that they want,” he said.

Keith Koffler, “The Rose Garden: Card Check Promises a Gut Check in 2010,” Roll Call, 12.14.09


With the Democrats’ gamble still unclear, it looks like the big labor bosses will have to keep up the pressure by holding closed door meetings to press their agenda with anyone who will listen. Hopefully for the American economy and the millions of our neighbors who are looking for jobs, card check will remain a bad bet and not a reality.

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