THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2006
Rubberstamp Reichert supports Bush agenda 94% of the time

When it counts, U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-8th) votes with Bush-Republican agenda 94 percent of the time, leading the Democratic Party to dub him Rubberstamp Reichert.

As he seeks re-election in a race with Democrat Darcy Burner that pollsters rate a toss-up, Reichert has sought to distance himself from his own party. He portrays himself as an independent moderate and pointing to two or three votes for which he broke from the Republican majority. But a thorough analysis counting 389 key votes -- those involving final passage of bills where the Republican position differed from the Democratic position -- Reichert voted with the Republican majority 94 percent of the time.

When it comes to working families' issues, Reichert has been a consistent supporter of the anti-worker agenda of the Bush administration and Republican Congress:

Lower minimum wages -- Reichert voted to cut our state minimum wage to as low as $2.13 an hour for workers who earn tips. (HR 5970)  Although the federal minimum wage has been frozen at $5.15 for nearly 10 years -- and 80 percent of Americans support raising it -- Reichert has repeatedly voted to block a minimum wage increase. (HR 5638, HR 5672 and S 250)

Export American jobs -- After extensive lobbying by President Bush and corporate interests, Reichert cast the decisive vote to approve the Central American Free Trade Agreement (HR 3045), which passed 217-215, expanding NAFTA's bad trade policies that outsource U.S. jobs.

Tax cuts for rich, tax increases for you -- Despite record budget deficits, Reichert has voted for all of President Bush's wartime tax cuts targeted to the wealthy, the most recent being the $70 billion tax break on dividends and capital gains approved in May and financed entirely by more borrowing. Meanwhile, Republican leaders blocked the renewal of Washington state's sales-tax deduction, which will raise taxes for middle-class families in Washington by an average $500 a year, in an attempt to force permanent repeal of the estate tax for multi-millionaires. Reichert voted for this cynical effort to link the bills (HR 5970), rather than standing up to his party bosses and calling on a fair, up-or-down vote on the sales-tax break. 

Reichert also supports almost all other elements of the right-wing Republican agenda in Washington D.C., from Social Security privatization to the deeply flawed Medicare prescription drug program.

The Washington State Labor Council, which has endorsed Democrat Darcy Burner in her campaign to replace Reichert, has prepared a candidate comparison flyer on these and other important working issues.  Union members are urged to download, print and distribute the flyer to their families and fellow union members.

▪  Also see, in today's News Tribune -- Rep. Dave Reichert objects to Democrats' ad -- The ad features Reichert telling a group of Republicans, “So when the leadership comes to me and says, ‘Dave, we need you to take a vote over here because we want to protect you and keep this majority,’ I do it.”  Reichert complains the clip lacks context and he later said he only does that sometimes.

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