CEI Awards Pro-Worker Senators

Senators with 100% Labor & Employment Scorecard Ratings Honored at Hill Event

CEI Champion of the Worker for the 113th Congress - Framed Award CEI Champion of the Worker for the 113th Congress – Framed Award

As we did last Congress, the Competitive Enterprise Institute has produced our Labor and Employment Policy Scorecard for the 113th Congress on our labor website, WorkplaceChoice.org.

For the first time, this year CEI experts scored each U.S. Senate vote on a key pro-worker issue, in addition to U.S. House votes.

CEI senior fellow and labor expert Aloysius Hogan stated, “Congratulations to all the Champions of the Worker who are leading the way to increase employment, better incentives for workers, reduce deadweight loss to the economy, augment workers’ income growth, and improve worker freedom. These stalwarts resisted all of the accounting gimmickry, government handouts that burden future workers, and additional federal mandates that are siren songs pulling the ship of state in the wrong direction.”

Over 65% of Americans feel the country is currently headed in the wrong direction. Poor employment and work policy is part of the problem. These Champions of the Worker are leading the way back on course.

Twenty-seven US Senators earned “Champion of the Worker” awards for 100% pro-worker scores as of Labor Day 2014:

U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and CEI Senior Fellow Aloysius Hogan U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and CEI Senior Fellow Aloysius Hogan

CEI Senior Fellow Aloysius Hogan and U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) CEI Senior Fellow Aloysius Hogan and U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR)

CEI Senior Fellow Aloysius Hogan and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) CEI Senior Fellow Aloysius Hogan and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS)

U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) and CEI Senior Fellow Aloysius Hogan U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) and CEI Senior Fellow Aloysius Hogan

  1. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
  2. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
  3. Sen. John Boozman (R-AR)
  4. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
  5. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)
  6. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS)
  7. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
  8. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID)
  9. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)
  10. Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY)
  11. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
  12. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
  13. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND)
  14. Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)
  15. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)
  16. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)
  17. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
  18. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
  19. Sen. James Risch (R-ID)
  20. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)
  21. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)
  22. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)
  23. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
  24. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)
  25. Sen. John Thune (R-SD)
  26. Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)
  27. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)

The Competitive Enterprise Institute rated the following 15 key Senate votes in the 113th Congress:

Second Session (2014)

  1. Roll Call Vote #117: On cloture on motion to proceed to S. 2223, the Minimum Wage Fairness Act of 2014; CEI Position: NO; Raising the minimum wage to $10.10/hour would cause a net loss of roughly 500,000 jobs and possibly 1 million jobs, disproportionately harming women, youth & minorities
  2. Roll Call Vote #110: On confirmation of David Weil to be US Dept. of Labor Wage & Hour Administrator; CEI Position: NO; Nominee lacks experience, has client AFL-CIO, proposes exceeding Congress’ intent, more unionization regardless of employee desires & targeting industries in lieu of distinct violations
  3. Roll Call Vote #109: On cloture to proceed to nomination of David Weil to be Wage & Hour Administrator; CEI Position: NO; Nominee lacks experience, has client AFL-CIO, proposes exceeding Congress’ intent, more unionization regardless of employee desires & targeting industries in lieu of distinct violations
  4. Roll Call Vote #103: On cloture to proceed to S. 2199, Paycheck Fairness Act of 2014; CEI Position: NO; Despite gender discrimination being illegal, bill would up litigation & red tape, cut defenses, ability to discipline & intent basis, broaden “loser-pays” only against employers & have DoL end pay disparity
  5. Roll Call Vote #101: On passage of S. 1845, Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension; CEI Position: NO; Pension smoothing imperils pensions; Jobless benefits beyond 26 (+20) weeks kept 600,000 out of labor force in 5 yrs ; $ would mainly benefit high-unionization, high-unemployment states
  6. Roll Call Vote #2: On cloture to proceed to S. 1845, Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension; CEI Position: NO; Pension smoothing imperils pensions; Jobless benefits > 26 (+20) weeks kept 600,000 out of labor force in 5 yrs ; $ would mainly benefit high-unionization, high-unemployment states

First Session (2013)

  1. Roll Call Vote #232: On passage of S. 815, Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013; CEI Position: NO; Bill would unnecessarily interfere in labor markets, adding federal employer mandates that impinge upon freedom of religion, association, and speech
  2. Roll Call Vote #225: On the confirmation of nominee Katherine Archuleta to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management; CEI Position: NO; No one should be confirmed to OPM until it explains why it violated the law against subsidizing Obamacare for Congress
  3. Roll Call Vote # 222: On the confirmation of nominee Richard Griffin to be General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board; CEI Position: NO; Griffin unconstitutionally recess-appointed to NLRB; Nominated for GC after Board term; Oppose confirming unconstitutional appts; Not neutral; Ignores precedent
  4. Roll Call Vote #194: On the confirmation of nominee Mark Gaston Pearce to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board; CEI Position: NO; NLRB Chair Pearce ignored federal court ruling 2 of 3 NLRB members unconstitutionally appointed, ignoring the responsibility to foster certainty & predictability
  5. Roll Call Vote #192: On the confirmation of nominee Nancy Jean Schiffer to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board; CEI Position: NO; Was AFL-CIO Associate General Counsel and UAW Deputy General Counsel; Obama stacks NLRB with labor advocates, not fair arbiters; Not likely to abide precedent
  6. Roll Call Vote #190: On the confirmation of nominee Kent Yoshiho Hirozawa to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board; CEI Position: NO; Chief Counsel to NLRB Chair Pearce when he ignored fed. ct. ruling 2 of 3 NLRB members unconstitutionally appointed, Ignored duty to aid certainty/predictability
  7. Roll Call Vote #178: On the confirmation of nominee Thomas Perez to be Secretary of Labor; CEI Position: NO; Traded $200 million case v. City of St Paul for St Paul dropping Supreme Ct. disparate impact case; Used private email for official business, inclu. open records violations; Ignored bipartisan subpoena
  8. Roll Call Vote #75: On adoption of S.Amdt.597 to S.Con.Res.8, Concurrent Budget Resolution for FY 2014; CEI Position: YES; Current automatic deduction of union dues from fed. employees’ pay subsidizes union administrative costs w/ tax $ & increases the amounts collected–many refuse to pay unions voluntarily
  9. Roll Call Vote #37: On adoption of S.Amdt.66 to S.Amdt.26 to H.R. 933, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act for FY 2013; CEI Position: YES; Agencies should not ignore OMB direction to freeze temporarily the hiring of nonessential fed. employees to avoid furloughs during sequester

On September 17th, CEI hosted a ceremony to recognize pro-worker Senators for advancing sensible labor and employment policies. “Champions of the Worker” were invited to receive awards and take photographs with CEI experts.

To see how all U.S. Senators scored on the Congressional Labor Scorecard, visit WorkplaceChoice.org/scorecard.