Necessary Roughness

Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) reports on the Hill Blog that the Senate Republicans have stopped the Employee Free Choice Act that originated in the House.

In a procedural vote today, supporters of the proposal failed to convince at least 60 Senators to vote for “cloture” – a threshold needed under Senate rules to stop unlimited debate on a bill or amendment and proceed to a final vote.

This legislation was not about employees, nor was it about enhancing employee rights. It certainly had nothing to do with free choice either. Plain and simple, this bill was about unfairly and artificially boosting organized labor’s steadily declining membership at the expense of essential employee democratic rights. I am very pleased that Senate Republicans have stopped Democrats from giving union bosses this early Christmas present.

I’ve disagreed with Sen. Enzi on other issues, but he’s got this one right. Roll Call No. 227 had failed its 3/5 majority 51-48-1, with Ohio’s senators splitting along party lines.