VOTE #1

Comp Time and 40-Hour Week

At the start of the 105th Congress, anti-worker lawmakers renewed their attack on working families again with one of the first bills of the session. S. 4 would allow employers to pay workers in compensatory time off instead of cash for overtime hours. While the bill called for voluntary agreements between employees and employers, employers held the upper hand and penalties for violating the voluntary provisions were toothless. Additionally, many working families count on overtime to balance the family budget. The bill also allotted an 80-hour work period before any worker could earn overtime, established a program that allowed employers to provide only one hour off for each hour of overtime instead of an hour and a half and even allowed bosses to dock the pay of salaried workers for taking time off during the day for things such as dental and doctor's appointments. Worker-friendly lawmakers staged a filibuster against the bill and defeated a cloture motion that would have killed the filibuster June 4, 1997 by a 51-47 vote (60 votes are needed for cloture). Y=W, N=R (DEM: 0-44; REP: 51-3)

VOTE #2

Tax Cuts for the Wealthy

The Senate's tax reconciliation bill (H.R. 2015--it carried the House bill number) contained big tax breaks for wealthy individuals and corporations--such as capital gains and estate tax reductions--but few meaningful reductions for working families. The Senate passed the bill June 27, 1997 by an 80-18 vote. Y=W, N=R (DEM: 29-14; REP: 51-4)

VOTE #3

Fast Track

One of the biggest AFL-CIO grassroots campaigns ever helped derail Fast Track trade legislation last year. Hundreds of rallies around the nation, 800,000 phone calls and 750,000 postcards let Congress know trade deals must include tough worker and environmental protections. While S. 1269 had sanctions for nations that violate property rights, human and work rights were not protected. Under Fast Track, Congress couldn't vote to improve a trade treaty, just to approve or disapprove the entire deal. Fast Track was heavily backed by business with $5.5 million in television and radio ads in 104 congressional districts. But in the Senate, Fast Track opponents staged a filibuster against a motion to bring the bill to floor. However, the Senate voted to kill the filibuster 69-31 on Nov. 4, 1997. Y=W, N=R (DEM: 26-19; REP: 43-12)

VOTE #4

Union Dues/Campaign Finance - S.1663

The Senate refused on a cloture vote to end a filibuster on S. 1663. This bill would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act to forbid the use of union dues for political and legislative activities without first requiring each represented worker to sign a permission form. This legislation would further skew the political balance of power in America against working families. This is a direct right wing Republican attack on Labor for its efforts to speak out on issues that were important to working families in the last elections. The measure failed 45-54 on February 26, 1998. Y=R N=W (DEM: 43-1; REP: 15-36)

VOTE #5

Affirmative Action/ISTEA - S. 1173

The Senate agreed to table a McConnell Amendment which would have weakened the highly successful Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program. The DBE program has worked well by increasing participation of women and minorities in building our nation's highways, bridges, transit systems and other ISTEA-funded projects. The motion passed March 6, 1998 by a 58-37 vote. Y=R N=W (DEM: 43-1; REP: 15-36)

VOTE #6

Transportation Appropriations -- S. 2037

The Senate approved S. 2307 on a 90-1 vote on July 24, 1998. Negotiations among interested Senators eliminated the need for votes on Amtrak-related amendments. A restriction against using appropriated funds for those labor costs resulting from wage increases in the new labor contracts was insisted upon by Commerce Chairman John McCain (R-AZ). Amtrak's funding level remained at $555 million as set in committee. The Senate bill also wants to spend $61.9 million for railroad safety programs and $25.8 million for railroad research and development. Administrative Funding would include $13.9 million for the Surface Transportation Board. Y=R N=W (DEM: 43-0; REP: 47-1)

Members of Congress who voted with the BMWE's position are indicated by an "R" for right. Those who voted in opposition to the BMWE are indicated by a "W" for wrong. Those who did not vote or were absent are indicated by an "A". The number on the far right is the percentage of the votes each member of Congress cast with the BMWE.

1 2 3 4 5 6 % Right

Alabama

SESSIONS (R-AL) W W W W W R 17

SHELBY (R-AL) W W R W W R 33

Alaska

MURKOWSKI (R-AK) W W W W R R 33

STEVENS (R-AK) W W R R R A 50

Arizona

KYL (R-AZ) W W W W W W 0

MCCAIN (R-AZ) W W W R R A 33

Arkansas

BUMPERS (D-AR) R R W R R A 67

HUTCHINSON, TIM (R-AR) W W W W W R 17

California

BOXER (D-CA) R W R R R A 67

FEINSTEIN (D-CA) R W R R R R 83

Colorado

ALLARD (R-CO) W W W W W R 17

CAMPBELL (R-CO) R W R R R R 83

Connecticut

DODD (D-CT) R W W R R R 67

LIEBERMAN (D-CT) R W W R R R 67

Delaware

BIDEN (D-DE) R W W R R R 67

ROTH (R-DE) W W W W R R 33

Florida

GRAHAM, BOB (D-FL) R W W R R R 67

MACK (R-FL) W W W W W R 17

Georgia

CLELAND (D-GA) R W W R R R 67

COVERDELL (R-GA) W W W W W R 17

Hawaii

AKAKA (D-HI) R W W R R R 67

INOUYE (D-HI) R A W R R R 67

Idaho

CRAIG (R-ID) W W W W W R 17

KEMPTHORNE (R-ID) W W W W R A 17

Illinois

DURBIN (D-IL) R R R R R R 100

MOSELEY-BRAUN (D-IL) R W R R R R 83

Indiana

COATS (R-IN) W W W W A R 17

LUGAR (R-IN) W W W W W R 17

Iowa

GRASSLEY (R-IA) W W W W W R 17

HARKIN (D-IA) R R R A R R 83

Kansas

BROWNBACK (R-KS) W W W W W R 17

ROBERTS (R-KS) W W W W W R 17

Kentucky

FORD (D-KY) R R R R R R 100

MCCONNELL (R-KY) W W W W W R 17

Louisiana

BREAUX (D-LA) R W W R R R 67

LANDRIEU (D-LA) R W W R R R 67

Maine

COLLINS (R-ME) W W W R R R 50

SNOWE (R-ME) W W R R R R 67

Maryland

MIKULSKI (D-MD) R W R R R R 83

SARBANES (D-MD) R R R R R R 100

Massachusetts

KENNEDY, EDWARD (D-MA) R R R R R R 100

KERRY, JOHN (D-MA) R R W R R R 83

Michigan

ABRAHAM (R-MI) W W W W W R 17

LEVIN, CARL (D-MI) R R R R R R 100

Minnesota

GRAMS (R-MN) W R W W W R 33

WELLSTONE (D-MN) R R R R R R 100

Mississippi

COCHRAN (R-MS) W W W W W R 17

LOTT (R-MS) W W W W W R 17

Missouri

ASHCROFT (R-MO) W W W W W R 17

BOND (R-MO) W W W W R R 33

Montana

BAUCUS (D-MT) R W W R R R 67

BURNS (R-MT) W W R W W A 17

Nebraska

HAGEL (R-NE) W W W W W R 17

KERREY, BOB (D-NE) R W W R R R 67

Nevada

BRYAN (D-NV) R W W R R R 67

REID, HARRY (D-NV) R W R R R R 83

New Hampshire

GREGG (R-NH) W W W W W R 17

SMITH, ROBERT C. (R-NH) W W R W W R 33

New Jersey

LAUTENBERG (D-NJ) R W W R R R 67

TORRICELLI (D-NJ) R W R R R R 83

New Mexico

BINGAMAN (D-NM) R W W R R R 67

DOMENICI (R-NM) W W W W R R 33

New York

D'AMATO (R-NY) R W W R R R 67

MOYNIHAN (D-NY) R W W R R R 67

North Carolina

FAIRCLOTH (R-NC) W R R W W R 50

HELMS (R-NC) W R W W A A 17

North Dakota

CONRAD (D-ND) R W R R R R 83

DORGAN (D-ND) R W R R R R 83

Ohio

DEWINE (R-OH) W W W W W R 17

GLENN (D-OH) R R W R A R 67

Oklahoma

INHOFE (R-OK) W W R W W R 33

NICKLES (R-OK) W W W W W R 17

Oregon

SMITH, GORDON (R-OR) W W W W W R 17

WYDEN (D-OR) R W W R R R 67

Pennsylvania

SANTORUM (R-PA) W W R W W R 33

SPECTER (R-PA) R W R R R R 83

Rhode Island

CHAFEE (R-RI) W W W R R R 50

REED, JACK (D-RI) A R R R R R 83

South Carolina

HOLLINGS (D-SC) R A R R W R 67

THURMOND (R-SC) W W R W W R 33

South Dakota

DASCHLE (D-SD) R W W R R R 67

JOHNSON (D-SD) R W W R R R 67

Tennessee

FRIST (R-TN) W W W W W R 17

THOMPSON (R-TN) W W W R W R 33

Texas

GRAMM, PHIL (R-TX) W R W W W R 33

HUTCHISON, KAY BAILEY (R-TX) W W W W A R 17

Utah

BENNETT (R-UT) W W W W A A 0

HATCH (R-UT) W W W W W R 17

Vermont

JEFFORDS (R-VT) A W W R R R 50

LEAHY (D-VT) R W W R R R 67

Virginia

ROBB (D-VA) R R W R R R 83

WARNER (R-VA) W W W W R R 33

Washington

GORTON (R-WA) W W W W W R 17

MURRAY (D-WA) R W W R R R 67

West Virginia

BYRD (D-WV) R R R R R R 100

ROCKEFELLER (D-WV) R W W R R R 67

Wisconsin

FEINGOLD (D-WI) R R R R R R 100

KOHL (D-WI) R W W R R R 67

Wyoming

ENZI (R-WY) W W R W W A 17

THOMAS (R-WY) W W W W W R 17