Instead of addressing the real economic crisis taking place in the homes of everyday Americans, Washington has instead chosen to ignore it and continuously distract the American public with fake political crises of their own, says members of the AFL-CIO Executive Council is a statement released Wednesday.
“The United States is in a continuing and severe jobs crisis. Yet Washington is inexplicably focused on measures that will make the situation worse—both in the short and long run,” reads the statement. “Our nation’s leaders are offering working people the choice between bad and worse policies. Instead of addressing our profound economic crisis, they are adding to it an unending series of fake political crises. It doesn’t have to be this way. There are real solutions to the jobs crisis, but real solutions require government action.”
The AFL-CIO Executive Council calls on Washington leadership to act. “Republican congressional leaders have made their agenda crystal clear—paralyze the government and hold our economy hostage until a multitrillion-dollar ransom is paid to their contributors in the form of tax cuts for the wealthy and for multinational corporations. Unfortunately, far too many Democrats have been either silent or complicit in the Republicans’ scheme. We expect Democrats at every level of government to stand tall for progressive principles, working families and the American labor movement. We need their leadership—not their excuses or apologies,” wrote the Council.
Labor leaders say the voice of the labor movement is clear: labor opposes any measure that will take away American jobs and/or further tie the hands of working families. “We oppose any cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits—no matter where they come from and that includes the Oval Office,” said labor leaders. “We need a tax code that asks the rich to pay their fair share. We oppose corporate tax reform that is merely ‘revenue neutral’ amid calls for ‘shared sacrifice.’ We oppose the Korea, Panama and the Colombia free trade agreements. And we will fight with every means we have against those who would take away the right to vote through a new generation of poll taxes and literacy tests.”
For a look at the complete statement, click here.
