MCCAIN ON JOBS & FREE TRADE

McCain Called 63,000 Jobs Lost in a Month ‘Not Terrible.’
When 63,000 jobs were slashed from payrolls in February, McCain said the “unemployment figures are…not terrible.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States lost 260,000 jobs in 2008 as of April. (McCain Town Hall, Atlanta, 3/7/08; The Employment Situation: April 2008, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5/2/08)

McCain Thinks We Are Better Off Than Eight Years Ago.
While President Bush has been in office, “there’s been great progress economically,” McCain said. (“Money & Politics,” Bloomberg, 4/17/08)

Voted NO to protect workers’ overtime rights.
[S. 1637, Vote #79, 5/4/04; Source: aflcio.org]

Voted NO to protect against unfair privatization rules favoring contractors.
Bill would create a level playing field between private contractors seeking government work and the agencies and workers performing the work. The amendment would have blocked implementation of the new pro-contractor privatization process. [H.R. 2989, Vote 408, 9/23/03; Source: aflcio.org]

Voted NO to protect overseas outsourcing of government contracts.
Bill would prohibit the overseas outsourcing of government contracts. [S. 1637, Vote 32, 3/4/04; Source: aflcio.org]

Voted NO to prevent outsourcing veterans affairs jobs.
Amendment would prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs from outsourcing jobs, many held by blue-collar veterans, without first giving the workers a chance to compete. [S.Amdt. 2673 to H.R. 2642, Vote 315, 9/6/07; Source: aflcio.org]

Voted YES to bill waiving "Buy American” laws.
Bill allowed the Secretary of Defense to waive Buy American laws for defense systems and place our defense manufacturing industry in jeopardy. Additional bill exempted defense goods from six European countries from Buy American requirements that traditionally have required most military equipment and defense systems to be manufactured in the United States. [S. 2400, Vote #135, 6/22/04; S. 1050, Vote #191, 5/21/03; Source: aflcio.org]

Voted NO on protecting U.S. roads from unsafe foreign trucks.
Amendment would prohibit Mexican trucks from operating beyond a limited border zone because they are not held to the same safety standards as U.S. trucks. [H.R. 2299, Vote #252, 7/26/01; Source: aflcio.org]

Voted NO on collective bargaining rights for state and local police and firefighters.
[H.R. 3061, Vote #323, 11/6/01; Source: aflcio.org]

Voted NO on imposing trade sanctions on Japan for closed market.
Resolution supporting sanctions on Japanese products if car parts markets don't open up; and seeking sharp reductions in the trade imbalances in car sales and parts through elimination of restrictive Japanese market-closing practices. [Reference: Bill S Res 118 ; vote number 1995-158 on May 9, 1995; Source: ontheissues.org]