EFCA On Hold
With lawmakers laser-focused on health care negotiations, CongressDaily is reporting that labor-backed EFCA, which would make it easier for unions to organize, appears to be on the "back burner" -- potentially through the end of '09.
Senate efforts to compromise on a watered-down version of the Employee Free Choice Act have been put firmly on the chamber's back burner -- perhaps for the rest of the year -- as senators, aides and lobbyists focus on health care and other legislation, participants said."We're not doing anything right now," Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said of talks he has led among a group of Democrats since it became clear in late March that a more ambitious "card check" bill to help unions organize could not win 60 Senate votes.
"We've got the healthcare bill; we've got appropriations bills, and we're lacking two senators that we need right now," Harkin said in an interview. "Nothing is happening on that right now."
Harkin and other senators and aides involved in discussions on the union organizing bill said the group has not met in two weeks and has no plans to talk again before the August recess.
The group includes Harkin and Democratic Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Thomas Carper of Delaware and Charles Schumer of New York.
Senators involved said the pause is due not to an impasse but to scheduling issues and the heavy focus on healthcare reform by all stakeholders.