Tom Harkin: “I wish to discuss for a few moments a few amendments that are pending that I think would undermine the basic rights and…”

“I wish to discuss for a few moments a few amendments that are pending that I think would undermine the basic rights and protections of American workers. In these difficult economic times, working families are struggling enough. Wages are stagnant. In fact, I saw a report the other day that, in real terms, if you take inflation into account, wages right now for working men and women are about where they were in 1974--almost 40 years. Job security is harder to find. More and more companies facing financial pressures are deciding to cut corners on fundamentals such as worker safety. Now more than ever, workers need the basic protections our laws provide. The last thing we need to do is take a step backward and make working people even more vulnerable than they are today, especially in terms of their safety and health. That is exactly what the Wicker amendment and the Paul amendment would do for two groups of very dedicated people--flight crews and transportation security officers who work every day to keep us safe when we travel.”