Rick Santorum did the bidding of big labor unions again and again as Congressman and Senator

Topline
Santorum voted with Democrats against the repeal of laws that require workers to pay union dues or fees in order to hold those jobs, whether they wanted to or not and whether they agreed with the Unions politics or not. In contrast, when Senator Toomey was elected, he joined with Senator Jim DeMint to sponsor legislation to repeal such laws. Santorum voted with Democrats repeatedly to protect Davis-Bacon legislation, an old law on the books that requires the federal government to pay more to its contractors. Santorum was so wedded to union concerns that he even voted against waiving Davis-Bacon in times of emergency. By voting to protect Davis-Bacon, Senator Santorum cost the people of South Carolina, and all of America, many millions in higher taxes, deficits, and national debt. Santorum sponsored the Santorum Amendment to raise the Minimum Wage 21.4%. He supported Ted Kennedys proposed hike in the Minimum Wage. And, in a 2006 campaign commercial, he bragged about his support for a higher Minimum Wage. Santorum voted with Democrats in favor of making it easier to unionize FedEx. Santorum voted with Democrats and the teachers unions against school choice, merit schools, model schools, and decentralization.

Research Details
Rick Santorum voted with Democrats against repeal of laws the require workers to pay union dues or fees in order to hold those jobs, whether they wanted to or not and whether they agreed with the Unions politics or not. (S. 1788, Roll Call Vote #188: Rejected 31-68: R 31-19; D 47-0, 7/10/96, Santorum voted Nay)
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This is directly opposed to what Senators Pat Toomey and Jim DeMint did last year in sponsoring the National Right to Work Act. Senator DeMint highlighted forced unionisms effect on the economy, saying, For America to truly win the future, we must stop operating on politics of the past like these forced-unionism laws that have crippled American industries. Forced-unionism helped lead to GM and Chryslers near bankruptcy and their requests for government bailouts as they struggled to compete in a global marketplace. When American businesses suffer because of these anti-worker laws, jobs and investment are driven overseas. http://demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_i d=6c97e4c4-a31f-4636-8fe2-6ffdf625b2d5 80% of union members support Sen. DeMints common sense approach. Leaving Sen. Santorum apart from conservatives and workers, on the side of union bosses. Why shouldnt they? One recent study found that per capita income rises 23% faster in states that dont have forced unionization. This is a bill championed by a Republican senator from Pennsylvania, Pat Toomey. A similar bill was opposed by Rick Santorum.

Santorum voted with Democrats repeatedly to protect DavisBacon legislation, an old law on the books that requires the federal government to pay more to its contractors.
In 1996, Santorum Was One Of 14 Senate Republicans Voting To Affirm That The Davis-Bacon Act Should Not Be Repealed. To protect the incomes of
construction workers and their families and to express the sense of the Senate that the DavisBacon Act should not be repealed. (S.Amdt. 4031 to S.Amdt. 4000 to S.Con.Res. 57, Vote #134: Motion To Table Failed 40-60: R 39-14; D 1-46, 5/22/96; Santorum Voted Nay)

Fiscal 1997 Budget Resolution - Davis-Bacon. Nickles, R-Okla., motion to table

(kill) the Kennedy, D-Mass., amendment to the Kennedy amendment, to reinsert the provisions similar to the text of the original Kennedy amendment that were struck by the Ashcroft, R-Mo., amendment, to express the sense of the Senate that the budget resolution does not assume the repeal of the Davis-Bacon Act, which requires federal construction contractors to pay workers the local prevailing wage. (S. Con. Res. 57, Roll Call Vote #134:
Rejected 40-60: R 39-14; D 1-46, 5/22/96, Santorum voted Nay; Congressional Quarterly Website, Accessed 1/8/12)

In 1999, Santorum Was One Of 15 Senate Republicans Voting To Reject An Amendment That Would Have Limited The Applicability Of The
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Davis-Bacon Act In Federal Disaster Areas. Amendment No. 1844 At the

appropriate place, insert the following: No funds appropriated under this Act may be used to enforce the provisions of the Act of March 3, 1931 (commonly known as the Davis-Bacon Act) in any area that has been declared a disaster area by the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. (S.Amdt. 1844 to S. 1650, Vote #320:
Motion To Table Agreed To 59-40: R 15-40; D 44-0, 10/7/99; Santorum Voted Yea)

Fiscal 2000 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations - Prevailing Wage Requirement for Rebuilding Disaster Areas. Specter, R-Pa., motion to table (kill)
the Smith, I-N.H., amendment that would prohibit the applicability of the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act in locations declared federal disaster areas by the president. Davis-Bacon requires that any workers on a federal project be paid prevailing wages. (S. 1650, Roll Call Vote 320: Approved
59-40: R 15-39; D 44-0; I 0-1, 10/7/99, Santorum voted Yea; Congressional Quarterly Website, Accessed 1/8/12)

Bloomberg Noted Santorums Preservation Of Government Wage-Setting Regulations. Santorums competitors are also likely to highlight votes he cast to benefit
organized labor, including minimum-wage increases and preserving government wage-setting regulations, that have so far captured little attention on the campaign trail. (Greg Giroux and
Heidi Przybyla, Santorum Pro-Labor Votes Lurk as Rivals Attack Early on Earmarks, Bloomberg, 1/4/12)

Bloomberg News: In 1996, Santorum voted in effect for an amendment by former Massachusetts Democratic Senator Edward M. Kennedy that said the 1931 law shouldnt be repealed. In 1999, the Senate accepted a Santorum
amendment that said it should consider reform of Davis-Bacon rather than repeal. Later that year, Santorum was one of 15 Senate Republicans who sided with Democrats in rejecting an amendment that would have limited the application of Davis-Bacon in federal disaster areas. (Greg Giroux and Heidi Przybyla, Santorum Pro-Labor Votes Lurk as Rivals Attack Early on Earmarks, Bloomberg, 1/4/12)

The Heritage Foundation: Davis-Bacon Artificially Inflates The Cost Of Construction Projects, Adds Billions To The Deficit Each Year, And Should Be Repealed. The DavisBacon Act (DBA) requires the government to pay construction wages that average 22 percent above market rates. This shields unions from competition on federal construction projects. It will also add $10.9 billion to the deficit in 2011. Given that the federal government is already running historic and unsustainable deficits, federal policy should not unnecessarily inflate the cost of federal construction projects. Congress should repeal the DBA. (James Sherk, Repealing the Davis-Bacon Act Would Save Taxpayers $10.9
Billion, The Heritage Foundation, 2/4/11)

Santorum proposed a 21.4% increase in the Minimum Wage.

He introduced the Santorum Amendment that would have hiked the Minimum Wage. In 2005, Santorum sponsored a measure, widely known as the
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Santorum Amendment, which would have raised the minimum wage by $1.10 over two years from $5.15 to $6.25, an increase of 21.4%. (The Hill, March 8, 2005)

Santorum was shifting more to the left on tax and wage issues. In
connection with the Santorum Amendment, the Washington, D.C. newspaper The Hill reported at the time that Santorum has made several statements on tax and wage issues in recent days that suggest he is shifting more to the left. (The Hill, March 3, 2005)

Santorum supported Kennedy Amendment on Minimum Wage. Santorum

continued to support an increase after the Santorum Amendment failed, noting that he supported an amendment sponsored by my Democratic colleague from Massachusetts, Senator Kennedy, that would have increased the federal minimum wage by $1.10. (Santorum press release, Sen. Santorum comments on his support of minimum wage increase,
October 20, 2005)

In his unsuccessful 2006 campaign, Santorum reiterated his support for a Minimum Wage hike. In a 2006 campaign commercial, Santorum bragged about his
proposed hike in the minimum wage. Referring sarcastically to a conservative newspaper that criticized him, he said, This newspaper, they say, The real problem with Rick Santorum is hes too liberal. They didnt like my legislation calling for a raise in the minimum wage. (The video is available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHT6SJd2KFg)

Santorum voted with Democrats in favor of the unionization of Federal Express.

Santorum Broke Ranks With Republicans To Vote Twice In Support Of Big Labors Efforts To Unionize Federal Express: FAA Reauthorization - Ruling of the Chair. Judgment of the Senate to affirm the
ruling of the chair that the language in the conference report restoring the category of "express carrier" to the Railway Labor Act was outside the scope of the bill, and was therefore not germane. (H.R. 3539, Roll Call Vote #305: Motion rejected 39-56: R 3-46; D 36-10, 10/3/96, Santorum voted Yea)

FAA Reauthorization Cloture. Motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on the
conference report on the bill to authorize $19.5 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal years 1997 and 1998. The conference report includes a provision reinstating the category of express carrier into the Railway Labor Act, which denies workers the right to unionize locally and requires them to organize nationally. (H.R. 3539, Roll Call Vote #304: Motion agreed to 66-31: R 49-2; D 17-29, 10/3/96, Santorum voted Nay)

The Debate Over The Provision To Deter Union Organizing At Fed Ex Was Contentious. President Clinton October 9 signed legislation that reauthorized spending
for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The measure approved $19.5 billion in funding over two years for construction and security projects at the nation's airports. The Senate October 3 passed the measure, 92-2, after several days of contentious debate over a provision that
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some Democratic senators argued would deter union organizing at Federal Express Corp. (FAA Reauthorization, Facts on File World News Digest, 10/10/96) Labor Provision Prompts Filibuster -- The dispute over the provision affecting Federal Express workers was the main sticking point in debate on the aviation legislation. The dispute began September 25, when the Senate conference committee approved a proposal by Senator Ernest F. Hollings (D, South Carolina). The Hollings proposal inserted the term "express company" into the 1926 Railway Labor Act, language that had been stricken from the act when Congress eliminated the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1995. That action classified Federal Express employees -- including truck drivers, who were attempting to organize a union -- as aviation workers. (See 1995, p. 983G2) Labor proponents opposed the action because it would force Federal Express workers who attempted to unionize to establish a national union, a more difficult task than creating local unions at individual Federal Express offices. (FAA Reauthorization, Facts on File World News Digest, 10/10/96) Note: Santorum ultimately did vote for passage of the FAA Reauthorization conference report along with 91 other senators. Only two senators (Arlen Specter and Paul Simon) voted against final passage of the bill.

Santorum voted with Democrats and the teachers unions against school choice, merit schools, model schools, and decentralization.
Rick Santorum voted against diverting funds to school choice initiative in 1993. Voted with 253 Democrats and 44 other Republicans against an amendment to
authorize $400 million to be used for merit schools, model schools, school choice programs and decentralized management programs involving parents. H. Amendment 5 to H R 1804, Roll
Call Vote #494, motion failed 130-300: R 129-45; D 1-253, 10/13/93. Santorum voted Nay. (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h1993-494)

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