Roll Call

Introduction

The first session of the 111th Congress convened in January 2009. As a result of the 2008 elections, Democrats had expanded majorities in both the House and Senate. When Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter subsequently switched from the Republican to the Democratic Party, this gave Democrats a "filibuster proof" sixty seat majority in the Senate. With President Obama occupying the White House, Democrats were in a position to move forward on a wide range of progressive initiatives.

However, the challenges facing our nation were immense. The economic and financial crises in the fall of 2009, caused by years of Republican laissez-faire policies, had led to the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. The auto sector was hit particularly hard. GM and Chrysler had to seek government assistance to survive and were compelled to undergo severe restructuring through expedited bankruptcy proceedings. Meanwhile, the U.S. faced serious problems in health care, education, energy and other critical areas.

As always, the UAW worked with other unions and progressive allies on a wide range of issues. These included measures related to worker rights, the economy, health care, education, budget/taxes, energy/environment, regulation of the financial system and civil and human rights.

Worker Rights

After taking the oath of office, President Obama began to assemble a cabinet and appoint individuals to other government agencies. He soon nominated Representative Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) to be his U.S. Secretary of Labor. The UAW and the rest of the labor movement applauded this nomination. During her years in Congress, Representative Solis compiled a strong record of support for worker and civil rights. In particular, she was an outspoken advocate for the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which would restore the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively without fear of employer coercion.

Conservative GOP Senators stalled action on the Solis nomination. They tried to generate opposition because of her pro-union views. But this effort fell flat. In the end, with the backing of the labor movement, the Senate easily confirmed Solis to be Secretary of Labor. Since assuming that position, Solis has made it clear that under her leadership the Labor Department will focus its efforts on helping working families.

During consideration of the Lilly Ledbetter fair pay legislation, conservative GOP Senator DeMint (SC) offered an amendment that would have established a national Right-to-Work law. The UAW and the rest of the labor movement strongly opposed this attack on the ability of workers to act collectively, which threatened the standard of living of working families. Thanks to our opposition, it was easily rejected by the Senate.

During 2009, the UAW and other unions laid the groundwork for the Senate to take up the EFCA. After it became clear that a number of more conservative Democrats would not support cloture to stop a filibuster against the original bill, the labor movement quietly explored what compromises would be needed to get the 60 votes needed to cut off debate. As a result of these discussions, we are optimistic that Senate Democratic leaders will be able to assemble the necessary votes for a robust package of reforms that would make meaningful progress in restoring the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively.

Because health care reform dominated the attention of Congress in the fall of 2009, it became clear that consideration of labor law reforms would be delayed until the second session of the 111th Congress. However, the UAW and other unions will be pressing Senate Democratic leaders and the Obama administration to move forward with labor law reforms early in 2010.

Economy

President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress acted quickly at the beginning of 2009 to move a major economic stimulus package to respond to the economic crisis. With the support of the UAW and the rest of the labor movement, they crafted a $789 billion stimulus package to create jobs and to give a boost to the entire economy. This package included tax relief for working families, increased spending on infrastructure and other key areas, fiscal relief for hard-pressed states and localities and assistance for laid-off workers.

The UAW was especially pleased that this stimulus package included long-sought reforms to the UI and TAA programs, as well as stronger Buy American requirements and measures to promote advanced technology vehicles and to assist the struggling auto industry.

Despite opposition from most Republicans, House and Senate Democrats approved this critically important economic stimulus package. President Obama promptly signed this urgently needed measure into law. Since being enacted, this stimulus package has been credited with saving or creating 1.5 - 2 million jobs.

By the end of the year, it became apparent that additional measures were needed to boost the economy and create jobs for American workers. In addition, there was an urgent need to extend unemployment benefits and other assistance for laid-off workers. With the support of the UAW and our progressive allies, the House passed a second stimulus package that provided funds for job creating infrastructure projects as well as additional assistance to states and localities to help them avoid laying off first responders, teachers and other workers. This legislation also contained a six-month extension of unemployment benefits and other assistance for laid-off workers.

During 2009 the UAW worked with the Obama administration and Democratic congressional leaders to craft the "Cash-for-Clunkers" program. This program provided individuals with $3500-$4500 vouchers to encourage them to trade in older, less fuel-efficient vehicles and to purchase new, more fuel efficient cars and lights trucks. The UAW strongly supported this initiative because it would provide a much needed boost to car sales, thereby helping automotive production and employment. At the same time, it would reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

In June the House easily approved this program, which was championed by Representative Betty Sutton (D-OH). But conservative GOP senators raised a point of order to try to block funding for the program. Thanks to an all-out lobbying effort by the UAW and auto manufacturers, we were able to get the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to waive this point of order and to approve funding for the Cash-for-Clunkers program.

The program quickly proved to be immensely popular with consumers. In order to allow it to continue, the Obama administration and Democratic congressional leaders offered legislation to provide an additional $2 billion to fund the program. Conservative Republican senators tried to block this funding. But once again we were able to get 60 votes to waive a point of order and to allow the legislation providing this additional funding to be enacted.

When the Cash-for-Clunkers program finally ended in late August, 2009 it clearly had been a major success. Auto sales increased substantially, allowing automakers to reduce swollen inventories. Auto manufacturers added extra shifts to respond to the increased demand, increasing jobs for UAW members.

Meanwhile, GOP Senator Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) offered an amendment to try to stop the Obama Treasury Department from using TARP funds to assist auto manufacturers. This would have undermined the reorganizations of GM and Chrysler, threatening jobs for UAW members and other workers. Fortunately, the Senate easily rejected this dangerous amendment.

Health Care

The last Congress approved legislation to provide $35 billion to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program to cover four million more low income children. But President Bush vetoed this measure, and Congress was not able to override his veto.

With the expanded Democratic majorities in the 111th Congress, and President Obama now occupying the White House, the stage was set for prompt action on the SCHIP expansion legislation. The House and Senate moved quickly in January to pass this important measure, and President Obama signed it into law.

For much of the rest of 2009, the Obama administration and Congress grappled with the issue of health care reform. President Obama laid out general principles for what should be included in health care reform legislation. But he allowed House and Senate committees to craft the actual legislation.

In November the House took up a historic health care reform bill that was strongly supported by the UAW and the rest of the labor movement. This measure guaranteed affordable health insurance coverage for most Americans. At the same time, it would reduce health care costs by reforming provider payment and delivery systems, by establishing an exchange to facilitate cost-effective coverage for individuals and small businesses and by including a public insurance option to provide much-needed competition for private insurance carriers. It also prohibited many discriminatory practices by insurance companies, including denying coverage to individuals because of pre-existing conditions. This legislation was paid for by requiring most employers to contribute to the cost of health care coverage for their workers and by requiring wealthy individuals to pay their fair share.

Not surprisingly, insurance companies and other special interest groups tried to derail this health care reform bill. But thanks to an all-out lobbying effort by the UAW and our progressive allies, the House narrowly passed this measure by a vote of 220-215.

In late November, the Senate also took up a health care reform bill. Like the House bill, this legislation contained many positive provisions. Specifically, it guaranteed affordable health insurance coverage for most Americans, contained measures to reduce health care costs and mandated insurance market reforms. However, the employer responsibility provisions were watered down. It also included a tax on high-cost health insurance plans that could force many employers to cut benefits for workers and retirees. To win support from several conservative Democrats and Independent Senator Joe Lieberman (Conn.), the final version of this legislation also dropped the public insurance option.

The UAW and our progressive allies vowed to try to fix all of these problems in the House-Senate conference on the health care reform legislation. However, to get to conference, it was essential that the Senate first pass this health care reform legislation, rather than letting it die on the Senate floor. After a month of debate, the Senate finally passed this historic legislation the day before Christmas on a straight part line vote of 60-39.

President Obama and Democratic Congressional leaders have indicated that they will try to move quickly during January 2010 to iron out the differences between the House and Senate bills, with the objective of enacting a final health care reform bill by the President’s State of the Union address in early February.

Education

In September the House took up legislation to reform the federal student loan programs. This measure invested $40 billion to increase Pell Grant scholarships, strengthened the Perkins Loan program and kept interest rates low on student loans. It paid for these reforms by ending unnecessary subsidies for private lenders and instead requiring all new student loans to be originated through the Direct Loan program. With support from the UAW and our education allies, the House approved this important education measure.

Budget/Taxes

The Obama administration and Democratic Congressional leaders crafted a budget plan that continued tax relief for middle and lower-income families. At the same time, this budget plan increased spending for investments in important social programs relating to health care, education, energy and veterans. With support from the UAW and our progressive allies, the House and Senate approved this budget plan on largely party-line votes.

Energy/Environment

In June the House took up climate change legislation that established an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The UAW and a broad coalition of labor, environmental and other groups supported this bill to combat the threat posed by global warming. We were particularly pleased that this measure would use a portion of the revenues from carbon allowances to encourage investment in domestic production of advanced technology vehicles, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and oil consumption, while creating jobs for American workers. With our support, the House narrowly approved this climate change legislation.

The UAW and our progressive allies also supported legislation to improve the security of chemical and water treatment facilities. The House passed this important measure, which would provide greater protection to workers and their communities from the risks posed by terrorist attacks on these facilities.

Financial System

In late 2009 the House considered legislation to modernize and reform the regulation of the financial industry to correct the problems that led to the collapse of our nation’s financial system in the fall of 2008. In particular, this legislation would provide greater transparency by regulating hedge funds, credit agencies and derivatives. It also would establish a Consumer Financial Protection Agency to protect consumers from discriminatory and predatory lending practices. With the support of the UAW and other labor and consumer groups, the House approved this far reaching legislation.

During 2009 the House and Senate also considered amendments that would have allowed judges to modify home mortgages. The UAW and our consumer allies supported these amendments as a way to help struggling families avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. But these amendments were rejected by the House and Senate.

Civil and Human Rights

Shortly after the 111th Congress convened in January 2009, the House and Senate acted quickly to approve the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This measure restored longstanding protections against pay discrimination established under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which had been undermined by a terrible Supreme Court decision. President Obama promptly signed this measure into law.

The House also quickly approved the Paycheck Fairness Act, which updated and strengthened the Equal Pay Act of 1963. But the Senate was not able to take up this measure during 2009.

After years of struggle, Congress finally was able to enact hate-crimes prevention legislation backed by the UAW and our allies in the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. This measure would strengthen existing federal hate crimes laws by removing obstacles to federal prosecution and authorizing federal prosecution of bias-motivated crimes based on the victim’s gender, sexual orientation or disability, as well as their race, color, religion and national origin. The House passed this legislation as a free-standing bill in April 2009. The Senate subsequently approved an amendment to the defense authorization legislation that contained the provisions of this hate crimes prevention legislation. In the fall of 2009 a House-Senate conference decided to include this measure in the conference report on the defense bill. The House and Senate approved this legislation, and it was signed into law by President Obama.

Early in 2009 the Senate approved D.C. Voting Rights legislation. This measure would add two seats to the House of Representatives, allowing citizens in our nation’s capital to elect a voting member and also giving an extra seat to Utah. The UAW and our civil rights allies supported this measure to give residents of the District of Columbia, who pay taxes and serve in the armed forces, the right to representation in Congress. Unfortunately, this bill has remained stalled in the House.

During 2009 the UAW continued to push for increased funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), as well as provisions to lift restrictions that hamper legal services programs. When the House took up the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill, conservative GOP Representative Hensarling (Texas) offered an amendment to eliminate funding for the LSC. Fortunately, this amendment was easily rejected by the House. In the end, the House and Senate approved legislation boosting funding and lifting some of the restrictions on LSC programs.

After Justice Souter announced his retirement from the Supreme Court, President Obama nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor to fill the vacancy on the high Court. The UAW and a broad coalition of civil rights groups strongly supported her nomination. Judge Sotomayor had a distinguished record as a lawyer and federal judge. Throughout her career, she had displayed views within the mainstream of American jurisprudence and had demonstrated her sensitivity to the concerns of working families, minorities and women. Although conservative GOP senators tried to generate opposition to Sotomayor, in the end the Senate approved her nomination and she was sworn in as our nation’s first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.

Conclusion

This voting record includes votes during 2009 in the first session of the 111th Congress.

The UAW was involved in many more issues than those covered by this voting record. However, on many important issues there were no votes, or else key votes were unrecorded (i.e. - voice votes) or were too lopsided to be instructive.

Our voting record is designed to help UAW members assess the performance of their representatives and senators. Keep in mind, however, that this record is only one basis for evaluating the performance of members of Congress.

For example, a number of representatives and senators provided assistance and support to UAW organizing drives. These members of Congress were: Senator Boxer and Representatives Andrews, Baca, Berman, Capps, Eshoo, Farr, Filner, Honda, Lee, George Miller, Matsui, McNerney, Pelosi, Roybal-Allard, Linda Sanchez, Loretta Sanchez, Stark and Woolsey.

The 2009 Voting Record contains a column at the end showing the overall 2009 UAW Support Percentage for each representative and senator. This percentage is calculated based on the number of right votes divided by the total number of votes actually cast by that representative or senator.