General Discussion

Jim Lane

(11,175 posts) Fri May 18, 2018, 03:23 PM May 2018

Vile smear against 12 Democratic Senators exposed as false

Last week saw the introduction in Congress of the Workplace Democracy Act. Its goal is to make it easier for workers to form and join unions and to bargain collectively. The sponsors were Bernie Sanders in the Senate and Mark Pocan in the House. Each introduced the bill, put out a press release crediting the other, and posted the text to his website. (Sanders press release and bill text; Pocan press release and bill text) In each chamber, several Democrats signed on as cosponsors.

Congress’s website reported the bill’s introduction but didn’t yet have the text. The website itself noted that bills aren’t posted immediately after introduction. Nevertheless, the charge was made that Sanders’s bill didn’t even exist, meaning that twelve Democratic Senators – Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) – were being accused of cynically touting themselves as supporters of a nonexistent bill.

Well, the text of the Senate bill, S.2810, introduced on May 9, is now available at Congress.gov, along with the previously posted list of cosponsors. This should dispel the lie that those twelve Democrats were backing a bill that didn’t exist. Props also to the Democrats in the House whom Pocan identified as the cosponsors there: Representatives Brendan Boyle (PA-13), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Keith Ellison (MN-05), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Mark Takano (CA-41), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).

We can assume that the bill isn’t likely to pass in this session. Still, it’s a good thing for progressives in Congress to persist in putting ideas like this into the public dialog. There’s also the practical point that it can provide a campaign issue for Democrats who are challenging vulnerable Republican incumbents.

10 replies

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Highlight:

Vile smear against 12 Democratic Senators exposed as false (Original Post) Jim Lane May 2018 OP

A very similar bill has been introduced since 1992. NCTraveler May 2018 #1

Yes, it's nice they attached their name to his bill. Hassin Bin Sober May 2018 #2

"He's not called the Amendment King for nothing." NCTraveler May 2018 #3

I like Leahy a lot. I've met him personally. I would never want to take anything away from him. Hassin Bin Sober May 2018 #4

"He's not called the Amendment King for nothing." NCTraveler May 2018 #5

Well it's a good thing I'm not dismissing Leahy's accomplishments. Hassin Bin Sober May 2018 #6

Same vile smear the op is claiming. NCTraveler May 2018 #7

I typed in pretty plain English. Not sure what your beef is but knock yerself out. Hassin Bin Sober May 2018 #9

If one is unpacking their boxes in the staw house built by the op... NCTraveler May 2018 #10

Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe May 2018 #8

NCTraveler

(30,481 posts)

1. A very similar bill has been introduced since 1992.

Reply to Jim Lane (Original post)

Fri May 18, 2018, 03:26 PM

May 2018

Could have just gone to one of the many of them for similar verbiage.

It's nice to see that people with legislative accomplishments are attached.

I completely missed all of the vile smears against the Democrats.

Hassin Bin Sober

(26,335 posts)

2. Yes, it's nice they attached their name to his bill.

Reply to NCTraveler (Reply #1)

Fri May 18, 2018, 03:40 PM

May 2018

He’s not called the Amendment King for nothing. That’s Bernie, gettin’ it done even when the repigs are in charge.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/mar/24/bernie-s/bernie-sanders-was-roll-call-amendment-king-1995-2/

In 2005, Rolling Stone named Sanders the "amendment king" of the House. At the time, the title held true with a specific qualification: amendments agreed to by record votes. (Amendments can also be passed with voice votes, in which the volume of yeas and nays dictates passage, or by unanimous consent, in which no one raises an objection.)

Out of 419 amendments Sanders sponsored over his 25 years in Congress, 90 passed, 21 of them by roll call votes. Here’s a breakdown (bold indicates Republican Congresses):

....................

Of course, amendments are just one of the ways lawmakers press their agendas. Sanders has had much less luck with passing bills.

During his 25 years in Congress, Sanders introduced 324 bills, three of which became law. This includes a bill in a Republican Congress naming a post office in Vermont and two more while Democrats had control (one naming another Vermont post office and another increasing veterans’ disability compensation). Clinton, for the record, also passed three bills in eight years.

But the sparse number of bills isn’t surprising. Volden and Vanderbilt University’s Alan Wiseman assess the legislative effectiveness of House members by comparing their records to a benchmark. According to this analysis, Sanders has either met or exceeded expectations during his tenure in the House (bold indicates Republican Congresses):

NCTraveler

(30,481 posts)

3. "He's not called the Amendment King for nothing."

Reply to Hassin Bin Sober (Reply #2)

Fri May 18, 2018, 03:49 PM

May 2018

I didn't expect that shot from you. Well done.

Patrick Leahy has passed 2.5 times more amendments.

Hassin Bin Sober

(26,335 posts)

4. I like Leahy a lot. I've met him personally. I would never want to take anything away from him.

Reply to NCTraveler (Reply #3)

Fri May 18, 2018, 03:57 PM

May 2018

Especially not over some petty vindictive ax grinding that, with even a cursory search, falls apart under the slightest scrutiny.

I especially like this part:

Lawmakers who belong to the party in control are five times more likely to have their bills go anywhere than minority party members, according to Volden. So Sanders’ legislative approach may seem like fixating on small potatoes, but for an independent who caucuses with the minority party, it’s a smart strategy.

"He could have either resigned himself to that fate, changed the nature of his legislation and coalition-building strategy, or offered amendments on the floor," Volden said. "He chose the third of these paths, making him more influential in shaping policy than if he had taken the first path. Why he did not take the second path is an open question — likely linked to his ideological views."

NCTraveler

(30,481 posts)

5. "He's not called the Amendment King for nothing."

Reply to Hassin Bin Sober (Reply #4)

Fri May 18, 2018, 03:59 PM

May 2018

I can't get enough of that. Really didn't expect it from you.

Petty and vindictive is the dismissal of the great Senator from Vermont, Leahy.

Hassin Bin Sober

(26,335 posts)

6. Well it's a good thing I'm not dismissing Leahy's accomplishments.

Reply to NCTraveler (Reply #5)

Fri May 18, 2018, 04:25 PM

May 2018

I’m also not regurgitating easily disputed falsehoods.

NCTraveler

(30,481 posts)

7. Same vile smear the op is claiming.

Reply to Hassin Bin Sober (Reply #6)

Fri May 18, 2018, 04:42 PM

May 2018

Then again, we both know it isn't really a vile smear. You are more just discounting Leahy and his great accomplishments. It was just the week before last Leahy secured solid additional funding for his state.

Hassin Bin Sober

(26,335 posts)

9. I typed in pretty plain English. Not sure what your beef is but knock yerself out.

Reply to NCTraveler (Reply #7)

Fri May 18, 2018, 05:10 PM

May 2018

Good day.

NCTraveler

(30,481 posts)

10. If one is unpacking their boxes in the staw house built by the op...

Reply to Hassin Bin Sober (Reply #9)

Fri May 18, 2018, 05:27 PM

May 2018

Then they would clearly see how calling him the “amendment king” is a vile attack on a number of Democrats.

Of course you and I wouldn’t do that as we recognize the heaps of smoldering hay that has been outlined.

Uncle Joe

(58,405 posts)

8. Kicked and recommended.

Reply to Jim Lane (Original post)

Fri May 18, 2018, 04:45 PM

May 2018

Thanks for the thread Jim Lane

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﻿Vile smear against 12 Democratic Senators exposed as false

Vile smear against 12 Democratic Senators exposed as false