Ben Nelson Opposes Employee Free Choice Act

Ben Nelson will once again be playing a key role in Senate negotiations over a major legislative drive. The centrist Nebraska Democrat told reporters Tuesday afternoon that he does not currently support the Employee Free Choice Act --- also known as card check -- a bill that would allow workers to choose to unionize either through a secret ballot or by signing cards of support.

"I'm not in favor of the bill as it -- I haven't seen exactly what was put in, but if what was put in is the same as it's been described, I'm not in support of that," he said.

Nelson, as he almost always does, left a window open. "But I also believe there'll be a major effort to modify it before it ever comes for consideration, and I'll have to take a look and see what it is then," he said.

Democrats need 60 votes to invoke cloture to end a Republican filibuster of the measure, meaning that each of the 58 Democratic votes -- 59 if Al Franken is seated -- is crucial.

Nelson was asked by a reporter if he would vote for cloture even if he ended up eventually voting against the bill. But Nelson wouldn't commit to such support.

"We'll have to see whether there's adequate debate. There are a lot of questions that remain about what the process is long before we have to make a decision about the cloture vote," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters that he thought the 60 votes needed to cut off debate and move to a final vote are there.

"We, of course, are looking for 60 votes. I think, frankly, they're there. Now remember: these are procedural votes. These aren't votes on the substance of the bill," he said. "I think getting 60 votes on the procedural aspects of it is certainly there."

Comments

[PGM77]

03:01 PM on 04/07/2009

And you can bet your bottom dollar the likes of Wal Mart and what not have lobbyists out the ying yang Wineing and Dineing congressmen not to support this.

[scorpioleidy]

11:13 AM on 03/11/2009

Ben e d.i.c.t (Arnold) Nelson

[scorpioleidy]

10:18 AM on 03/11/2009

Ben a d.i.c.k Nelson

[cornagainstsorcery]

10:16 AM on 03/11/2009

C'mon Nelson. You were supposed to give me a reason to actually start voting for you; not go the opposite direction.

[harrymellon]

03:09 AM on 03/11/2009

What a spineless lemming.

[swo68]

02:48 AM on 03/11/2009

I'm kind of fuzzy on this. Is the big deal that an employees vote on whether to establish a union or not will not be private? Is that the jist of the complaints?

Shouldn't they be private?

[Frenbar]

02:26 AM on 03/11/2009

Can we stop calling those who seek to appease corporations most centrists?

Impartial observers and reporters don't adopt the vocabulary of the demagogues.

[texanna]

11:43 PM on 03/10/2009

So, this guy is going not going to support this bill based not on having read it but rather on what some people have told him is in it? Well, I guess we know who owns Mr. Nelson, now, don't we?

[RedKnuckles]

11:00 PM on 03/10/2009

"I'm not in favor of the bill as it -- I haven't seen exactly what was put in, but if what was put in is the same as it's been described, I'm not in support of that," he said.

In other words, he hasn't read the bill and has only listened to the chamber of commerce/right wing ads that mischaracterize it.

[petef59]

10:06 PM on 03/10/2009

The bill,as is, is very easy to understand. Anti-worker,union-busting,management consultants (liars) have propagandized this simple idea into something they would like people to believe.

Ben can say bye, bye next election if he is not intelligent enough to see through the public relation BS.

[sueinmn]

09:22 PM on 03/10/2009

sorry heres the E Verify link. I get pis.sed and forget my links!! LOL

http://www.numbersusa.com/content/news/march-10-2009/e-verify-vote-senate-floor-now.html

[sueinmn]

09:21 PM on 03/10/2009

heres a link to show how they are also voting on the E Verify. Why does congress hate American workers?? They are voting to table this bill but it is due to expire shortly. This would extend this temporary Bill for another 5 yrs. Lets just give ALL our jobs to illegal workers ir those from India and let the Republicans fully support us all on welfare. Well see how much crime this country really is capable of then.

[Vinca]

06:57 AM on 03/11/2009

LOU IS RIGHT TO PUSH FOR, E-VERIFY, I WONDER, IF OBAMA MAKES THOSE MILLOINS OF , ILLEGALS, LEGAL, THERE WON'T BE ENOUGH JOBS, FOR THEM, IT CERTAINLY, ISN'T RACIST, TO WANT PEOPLE TO COME INTO AMERICA LEGALLY, E-VERIFY IS THE WAY TO ASSURE WORKERS, HAVE THE RIGHT SS NUMBER

[V4Vigilance]

08:48 PM on 03/10/2009

"Centrist" my @ss...

[NeoStar9]

08:00 PM on 03/10/2009

Okay. Question. Say this goes through and people have an easier time to create a union. What happens to those that don't want a union because they don't want to deal with the politics of it or feel they were being pressure into voting for it but didn't in the end?

Do you have two sets of workers in a business? Those in the union and those not in it? Or are you forced to join it even if you don't want it? Do those in the union make your life hell because you didn't want to join and didn't want the union deciding things for you and would have rather deal directly with the company?

[Mildmannered]

03:46 AM on 03/11/2009

I didn't want eight years of bush, but I lived with it because my side didn't win

[BeRealT]

09:42 AM on 03/13/2009

NeoStar9 you bring up a good point. I work in the healthcare field, and while labor practices and individuals should be protected by overbearing corporations, with this bill you lose your freedom of choice. The current hospital nurse unions and other labor unions, under new laws, require you to join the union if the organization becomes unionized. In the past people who did not freely join were tormented and vilified. I think this defeats the purpose of the union, and furthermore anything that restricts individual freedoms should be looked at very carefully.

[8isEnoughPeriod]

07:44 PM on 03/10/2009

"I'm not in favor of the bill as it -- I haven't seen exactly what was put in, but if what was put in is the same as it's been described, I'm not in support of that," he said.

Described by whom? Republican talking points?

Why can't the senator read the Bill before commenting on it? What kind of work ethics is that?

Mr. Senator, just because someone pushes a microphone in front of your mouth doesn't mean you must start babbling.
This is one of the reasons Republicans win the Message Wars. Many Democrats have no discipline. Some are just too eager to be grandstanding. All in all, they are missing in action while Republicans are all over the air waves, distorting the message and smearing Democrats. Then one Democrat shows up and does NO GOOD to his party or himself. They are not organized for Media purposes. They don't know their own stuff. Have no consistent message. Pitiful! This was painfully obvious during the Stimulus Debate.