Andy Stern will vote No on deficit commission [View All]

[ProSense]

Andy Stern will vote No on deficit commission

By Greg Sargent

Former top labor leader Andy Stern has privately informed deficit-commission co-chair Erskine Bowles that he will vote against the commission's package of proposals, a source close to Stern tells me, effectively ending hopes of getting the desired 14 members to support it.

Stern is the fifth of 18 commission members to decide against backing the commission's proposals. While it has long seemed unlikely that the proposals, which are filled with controversial spending cuts, would get the needed supermajority in tomorrow's vote, his opposition appears to officially put this out of reach.

Stern also retains influence among Dem politicians, so his opposition could build further resistance to the proposal among Dems who are still undecided.

Describing Stern's opposition to the proposals, the source close to him would only say the following: "In the end, there is not enough investment to create jobs, economic growth, and increase America's competitiveness."

The other commission members who have come out against the proposal are Dem Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Senator Max Baucus, and GOP Reps. Paul Ryan and Dave Camp.

Stern Opposes Debt Plan, Gives Fifth Vote to Reject


Edited to add links to alternative proposals by Andy Stern, Jan Schakowsky, Our Fiscal Security, and Joseph Stiglitz (PDF).