United Steelworkers have
released a
statement that delivers a strong message to Republican’s about the budget
cuts passed in Senate today:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 /U.S. Newswire/ — Leo Gerard, president of the
United Steelworkers (USW) said today’s U.S. Senate 51-50 vote on a budget
bill sent a chilling message to workers by including repeal of the
‘Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000’ (CDSOA) – commonly known
as the Byrd law.“Vice President Cheney’s tie-breaking vote in today’s Senate budget bill
hurts American workers struggling to compete in the global marketplace. U.S.
workers don’t have a fighting chance when their own government keeps giving
away the tools that seek to even up the playing field.“Repeal of the Byrd law in the budget bill will accelerate the predatory
practices of foreign competitors who are subsidized by their governments to
unfairly dump products in America.“The USW continues to believe that the World Trade Organization’s
decision that declared the Byrd law in violation of international trading
rules as over-reaching. It imposes obligations on the U.S. that were never
negotiated and the U.S. negotiators should follow congressional intent by
negotiating retention of the Byrd law in the WTO’s current Doha Round.“The Byrd Amendment takes a portion of the duties imposed on illegal
imports and provides legal financial remedies to the affected American
companies and its injured workers.“This budget bill now awaits approval by the House of Representatives and
should be rejected for not only weakening our trade laws, but for its
draconian cuts in programs to pay for tax breaks to benefit the nation’s
wealthiest.”
Every budget cut Congress does reduces help to the middle and lower class in
order to support the tax cuts given to the wealthy. In other words a majority of
Americans are now working to support the lifestyles and financial freedom of the
upper class. This presents a great danger to our democracy as it makes it harder
for people to be able to afford to run for office and make changes.
Luckily Democrats were able to get a provision in the bill today requiring it
to go through the House again. This will delay the vote until January or
February. There is still time to write your Representative and urge them to
defeat this bill.