Washington Senators Fight For Washington Workers

With thousands of displaced Washington workers about to lose their unemployment benefits, as outlined in a P-I editorial today, Senator Maria Cantwell is taking the lead in fighting for the extension Washington needs. Cantwell has said that she and her Democratic colleagues are being forced to "embarrass" the administration and congressional Republicans into doing the right thing before they take off for the holidays. Maria won't let the issue go away. Be sure to log onto her website to track this issue and offer a message of support!

Our Senior Senator, Patty Murray, is waging another battle for Washington workers. The Bush administration is trying to close the Seattle office of the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration's Seattle regional office. Not only would this cause the direct loss of the family wage jobs the Department offers, but it would have an even more dramatic negative impact by moving resources away from the very region hardest hit by the national crisis in job losses.

With Washington, Oregon and Alaska rotating through the 1, 2 and 3 spots on the national unemployment lists, the elimination of more jobs and valuable services in the region is unconscionable, and Senator Murray has taken dramatic action on behalf of Washington workers, placing a hold on the confirmation of the Bush administration's nominee for Labor Solicitor, Howard M. Radzley.

I don't know anything about Radzley, who may be a fine choice for the job, but I do know that I appreciate Senator Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment, Safety, and Training, delivering a clear message that there won't be 'business as usual' at the Department of Labor while the needs of Northwest workers go unmet.

We re-elect Senators exactly so they'll develop the kind of clout and savvy that's needed for the tough fights, and Patty Murray is demonstrating exactly why we need to re-elect her again.