Thom Hartmann: The FAA is still a Hostage

[thomhartmann]

Run time: 06:40 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUT8ypjibNo   Posted on YouTube: August 05, 2011 By YouTube Member: TheBigPictureRT Views on YouTube: 27   Posted on DU: August 05, 2011 By DU Member: thomhartmann Views on DU: 544

 
Republicans have learned to play hostage taker...while sitting by the pool on vacation. The FAA partial-shutdown is now in its 12th day - leaving 4,000 FAA workers furloughed - another several thousand FAA safety inspectors working without paid overtime or expenses - and over 70,000 construction workers without a job as $2.5 billion worth of airport infrastructure projects are on hold without funding - all because Republicans wanted to turn a routine FAA funding bill into a weapon for their war against unions. And it looks like once again - they'll get everything they want - for now. Today - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said a deal has been reached to restore funding to the FAA at least through the middle of September - but then the debate will continue. In a statement - Reid said, “This agreement does not resolve the important differences that still remain. But I believe we should keep Americans working while Congress settles its differences, and this agreement will do exactly that.” Those differences Reid mentioned centers on provision to eliminate subsidies to rural airports in Democratic districts - something that Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood assured Democrats he can waive moving forward. But the real hold up in the FAA funding bill is about unions. Republicans slipped a provision into the bill that makes it harder for federal air and rail workers to unionize - knowing that the Senate would have a difficult time passing it. This new deal reached today does nothing to strip the anti-union language from the funding bill. So what does this deal mean? And is another FAA shut down around the corner when Republicans come back to Washington to continue their war on unions? Here to offer his take on this is Paul Rinaldi - President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann on RT TV & FSTV "live" 9pm and 11pm
check www.thomhartmann.com/tv for local listings

[Stuart G]

1. k & r thanks for posting...nt