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“ Democratic priorities are clear: we will fight to get the economy back on track, we will create jobs, and we will help unemployed workers. ” |
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Pelosi: Bush Administration Undermines Workers Rights for Livable Wages in Hurricane Stricken Areas
Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement this evening in response to President Bush’s executive order rescinding the Davis-Bacon Act in hurricane stricken areas, allowing employers using federal disaster assistance money to pay unfair wages to workers in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
“The Davis-Bacon Act was signed into law in the Great Depression, a time when scurrilous employers were taking advantage of the desperation of American workers to care for their families. At that time, and for more than 70 years since then, the federal government has demanded that when taxpayer money is spent, workers should be paid a livable wage.
“But today, the Bush Administration demonstrated the latest example of its anti-worker agenda, with an executive order rescinding the requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act for areas hit by Hurricane Katrina. That means that as workers return to their lives and livelihoods on the Gulf Coast, the Bush Administration wants to use federal money to exploit them by paying less than the prevailing wage.
“It's this simple: Hurricane Katrina took away their jobs, now President Bush will take away their wages when they find new jobs. This is a partisan and punitive decision that will make economic recovery much harder for workers and their families.
“Now is a time to come together to rebuild and restore, not undo years of hard-won worker's rights. Democrats call on President Bush to immediately rescind this order, so that American families can get on with the hard work of rebuilding their lives.”
“ Democrats are united in presenting a New Direction for America, one that will make our nation as strong as its people, one that brings opportunity, security, and prosperity to all Americans. ”
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
