(The Transportation Trades Dept. issued the following news release on April 2.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The following statement was issued today by Edward Wytkind, President of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department, in reaction to House passage of a multi-year highway and transit reauthorization bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“While today’s vote in the House sets the stage for putting millions of Americans to work and rebuilding and expanding our nation’s surface transportation system, it is unfortunately clouded by a misguided White House veto threat that turns a cold shoulder to American workers who are crying out for jobs and to cities and states struggling to meet their massive transportation needs. The White House is choosing to stand alone in defiance of a bipartisan majority in both houses of Congress.
“This latest veto threat ignores the fact that millions of Americans and businesses spend their days stuck in traffic jams or yearning for more and better public transportation services. And it ignores the ranks of the jobless in our country that continue to swell. For every $1 billion the President shaves from this bill, 47,000 people lose the chance to secure a decent job.
“As the House and the Senate prepare to resolve their bills in a conference committee, we urge them to embrace the highest funding level possible. The White House’s tin ear to critical national needs has already slashed millions of jobs from this bill. These latest White House tactics are ill advised and counterproductive, and should be rejected by Congress.
“We thank Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young, Ranking Member James Oberstar and countless lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for leading the fight to put Americans to work and improve our nation’s transportation system – even in the face of White House opposition.”
TTD represents 35 member unions in the aviation, rail, transit, trucking, highway, longshore, maritime and related industries. For more information, visit www.ttd.org