Blanche Lincoln Votes NO

U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas was one of five Democrats to vote against consideration of the bridge loan to the auto industry. She ignored the plight of thousands of Arkansas workers who manufacture parts for American vehicles and who are in danger of losing their jobs.

If auto workers who are members of the UAW worked for nothing, they could not save auto companies that face a devastating cash crisis in our deep national recession. Yet Blanche Lincoln a handful of Republican senators were so determined to cut workers’ living standards and scapegoat the auto workers union that they were willing to block the bipartisan proposal for a bridge loan to the American auto industry and play Russian roulette with our economy. That is outrageous. This group of minority senators failed to act as stewards of the American public.

Millions of jobs are at risk. According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, 3.3 million jobs across all 50 states and all sectors could be lost – on top of the 1.9 million jobs already cut by employers this year – if one or more auto companies fail.

Misinformation about auto workers’ livelihoods has been spread throughout this debate, Even so, the UAW was prepared to make further sacrifices, just as the auto companies had done, not only to save the industry but prevent economic collapse. But nothing would satisfy the ideologically motivated Republican senators, who saw no reason to impose salary concessions when bailing out the banks.

We cannot boost the economy by legislating a race to the bottom or attacking decent jobs.