On the 103rd anniversary of the establishment of the Department of Labor, American Bridge President Jessica Mackler released the following statement on Senator Kelly Ayotte’s unacceptable record on labor:
“The Department of Labor has helped to build our middle class, level the playing field for millions of Americans, and been an unwavering defender of workers’ rights. However, the fight for working families is far from over, and Senator Kelly Ayotte has shown us again and again she is not on the side of working Americans. She has voted repeatedly against raising the minimum wage, to protect tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas, against equal pay for women, and weakened protections for workers seeking to form a union with their co-workers. Sen. Ayotte is beholden to corporate special interests like the Kochs — and make no mistake — she is no friend of New Hampshire’s working families.”
Background:
AYOTTE VOTED AGAINST RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
2015: Ayotte Voted Against Raising The Federal Minimum Wage By An Unspecified Amount. In March 2015, Ayotte voted against an amendment that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would [have] create[d] a deficit neutral reserve fund to allow for legislation that would increase the federal minimum wage.” The Senate rejected the proposed amendment to its version of the FY 2016 budget resolution by a vote of 48 to 52. [Senate Vote 93, 3/26/15; Congressional Quarterly, 3/26/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11]
2014: Ayotte Effectively Voted Against Raising The Federal Minimum Wage By Nearly Three Dollars, To $10.10, By 2016. In April 2014, Ayotte effectively voted against a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would [have] increase[d] the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 by 2016. It would gradually increase the minimum cash wage for workers who receive tips until it equals 70 percent of the federal minimum wage for other workers. It also would amend the tax code to extend through 2016 the $500,000 cap for small business expensing of investments eligible for deductions, including allowances for computer software and qualified real property.” The vote was on a motion to end debate on the motion to proceed to consider the legislation, which required 60 votes to succeed. The Senate rejected the motion by a vote 54 to 42. [Senate Vote 117, 4/30/14; Congressional Quarterly, 4/30/14]
Nashua Telegraph Editorial: Ayotte Voted To Derail A Bill To Raise The Minimum Wage. In an editorial, the Nashua Telegraph wrote, “Some of those people at the bottom of the income scale might have been helped by a bill in the U.S. Senate this week to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour, but that help won’t be coming anytime soon. Senate Republicans – including Sen. Kelly Ayotte of Nashua – voted to not vote on the bill itself, effectively derailing it for the time being.” [Nashua Telegraph, 5/2/14]
VOTED TO PROTECT TAX BREAKS FOR OUTSOURCING
2015: Ayotte Voted Against Creating A Tax Credit For Companies That Provide Fair Wages And Good Benefits, While Ending Unspecified Tax Incentives To Send Jobs Out Of The Country. In March 2015, Ayotte voted against an amendment to the Senate’s FY 2016 budget resolution that, according to Congressional Quarterly, the amendment would have created a deficit neutral reserve fund for legislation that “would provide tax breaks for companies that have not maintained or expanded their U.S. workforce or have provided livable wages and health care, or that would end tax incentives that encourage the transfer of jobs overseas.” According to a press release from the Office of Senator Dick Durbin, the proposal would have “provide[d] a tax credit to companies that provide fair wages and good benefits to workers while closing a tax loophole that incentivizes corporations to send jobs overseas. The loophole costs the U.S. Treasury approximately $50 billion each year at a time when outsourced jobs and stagnant wages force more American families to turn to safety net programs to make ends meet.” The amendment was rejected by a vote of 46 to 54. [Senate Vote 104,3/26/15; Press Release – Office of Senator Dick Durbin, 3/25/15; Congressional Quarterly, 3/26/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11]
2015: Ayotte Voted Against Deterring U.S. Corporations From Transferring Their Operations Out Of The U.S., By Making Changes To The Tax Code. In March 2015, Ayotte voted against an amendment to the Senate’s FY 2016 budget resolution that, according to Congressional Quarterly, would have “create[d] a deficit neutral reserve fund to allow for legislation that would revise the tax code to close tax loopholes, including those related to corporate inversion, or that would discourage U.S. corporations from moving their operations to other countries.” The amendment was rejected by a vote of 46 to 54. [Senate Vote 94, 3/26/15; Congressional Quarterly, 3/26/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11]
2014: Ayotte Effectively Voted Against Legislation Barring Companies From Deducting The Costs Of Moving Jobs Out Of The U.S. From Their Taxes, And Providing A Tax Credit For Moving Jobs Into The U.S. In July 2014, Ayotte effectively voted against a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would give businesses a tax credit for up to 20 percent of the expenses incurred to bring work done in foreign countries back into the United States, if the business also increases its number of full-time employees. It also would prohibit tax deductions for expenses incurred when moving jobs outside the U.S.” The vote was on a motion to end debate on the bill, which required 60 votes to succeed. The Senate rejected the motion by a vote of 54 to 42. [Senate Vote 249,7/30/14; Congressional Quarterly, 7/30/14]
2013: Ayotte Effectively Voted Against Repealing Tax Deductions For Expenses Related To Relocating A Business Outside Of The U.S. As Part Of Proposed Replacement For Automatic Budget Cuts Imposed By 2011 Debt Limit Deal. In February 2013, Ayotte voted against a bill that, according to the Congressional Budget Office, “The legislation also would eliminate businesses ability to take certain tax deductions for expenses related to relocating facilities outside of the United States, raising $0.2 billion according to [the Joint Committee on Taxation].” The provision was, according to CQ, part of a package replacing the “automatic spending cuts required by the 2011 debt limit law” with a mixture of spending cuts and tax increases. The vote was on a motion to end debate on the motion to proceed to the bill, which required 60 votes to pass. The motion failed by a vote of 51 to 49. [Senate Vote 27, 2/28/13; Congressional Budget Office, 2/27/13; CQ, 2/28/13]
Ayotte Voted Against A Bill That Provided Tax Incentives For Companies To Bring Jobs Back From Outside the U.S. And Eliminated Tax Incentives To Companies That Move Jobs Offshore. In July 2012, Ayotte voted against a bill that, according to CNN, “would give tax breaks for companies that ‘insource’ jobs to the U.S. from overseas while eliminating tax deductions for companies that move jobs abroad.” The bill was defeated in a cloture vote 56-42. [Senate Vote 181, 7/19/12; CNN, 7/19/12]
Unions
2011: Ayotte Voted For A Republican Jobs Proposal Known As The “Jobs Through Growth Act” That Included A Provision To Limit The Authority Of The National Labor Relations Board. In November 2011, Ayotte voted for an amendment that would have put in place a number of Republican policy priorities. According to The Hill, “The ‘Jobs Through Growth Act,’ penned by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), was voted down 40-46 and included a Sense of the Congress that a balanced budget to the Constitution is needed, a provision to make it easier for the government to rescind unspent funds and a reduction in taxes for individuals and companies. It also would have repealed last year’s healthcare law and the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. In addition, the bill would have limited the authority of the National Labor Relations Board, expanded access to offshore oil and slashed federal regulations related to the environment.” The amendment was a second-degree amendment to a bill to end the withholding requirement for payments to government contractors. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 40 to 56. [Senate Vote 202, 11/10/11; The Hill, 11/10/11]
2012: Ayotte Voted For Overturning The NLRB’s New Rules Making The Union Representation Elections Quicker. In April 2012, Ayotte voted for overturning new National Labor Relations Board rules that would, according to the Associated Press, “give unions quicker representation elections in their effort to organize more workplaces. [. . .] Under the existing regulations, workers typically vote within 45-60 days after a union gathers enough signatures from workers saying they want to hold an election. The new rules could cut that time by days or even weeks by simplifying procedures and putting off some challenges until after the election is held, cutting back hearings and reducing legal delays.” The vote was on a motion to proceed to a resolution of disapproval, which failed 45-54 and the new rules took effect April 30th, 2012. [Senate Vote 68, 4/24/12; Associated Press, 4/24/12]
- Democrats and Unions Said New Rules Prevented Companies From Using Stalling Tactics and Harassing Workers. According to the Associated Press, “Unions call the changes a modest fix to prevent companies from using stalling tactics to delay a vote while workers can be subject to harassment, threats and even illegal firing. [. . .] Democrats said the rules address some of the most abusive situations where companies manipulate procedures to conduct anti-union campaigns. ‘All the board has done is to send a clear message to employers: you can’t abuse the process to buy yourself more time to intimidate workers,’ said Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, Democratic chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee.” [Associated Press, 4/24/12]
Published: Mar 4, 2016 | Last Modified: Jan 18, 2024