Ten Senators Sign on to Merkley Proposal Endorsed by AFSCME, AFL-CIO

by Karl Stark  |  September 30, 2011

Senator Jeff Merkley’s (D-OR) plan is gaining steam. On September 14, Merkley introduced a proposal that would require the newly-created congressional “Super Committee” to have their deficit reduction proposals evaluated by the Congressional Budget Office to determine the direct impact they would have on jobs and unemployment.

Merkley wrote:

“Simply put, putting people back to work will help get our debt under control, and, therefore, the Select Committee must make job creation a top priority as it weighs changes to federal spending and revenues.”

AFSCME Pres. Gerald W. McEntee and AFL-CIO Pres. Richard Trumka quickly endorsed the idea. Ten senators have now co-signed Merkley’s letter to Super Committee co-chairs Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and joined the effort: Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Al Franken (D-MN), Mark Begich (D-AK), and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).

See previous post: Keeping the Super Committee Honest on Jobs