Published on Tuesday, June 26, 2007.
Last modified on 6/26/2007 at 1:49 pm

Barrasso's first votes are to block legislation
By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- New Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso began his Senate career on Tuesday by voting to block two bills that Democrats are attempting to move through the Senate.

In his first vote, Barrasso sided with many of his fellow Republicans to block legislation that would make it easier to organize unions. He also voted to block a controversial immigration bill.

His office did not have immediate comment on the votes.

Barrasso was sworn into the Senate on Monday, just three days after Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal appointed him to replace Republican Sen. Craig Thomas. Thomas died June 4 while being treated for leukemia.

Republican Sen. Mike Enzi, Wyoming's other senator, also voted to block the two bills. He has been outspoken on both issues.

The union legislation would require employers to recognize unions after being presented union cards signed by a majority of eligible workers on their payrolls. Under current labor law, a company can demand a secret ballot election supervised by the federal government after being presented the union cards.

The legislation, backed by Democrats, is a top priority for labor unions before next year's presidential election.

Enzi is the top Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. In a release, he called the unions bill the "most blatant attempt in history to strong arm working Americans into signing over their most fundamental right -- the right to cast a private ballot when deciding whether to join a union."

Enzi has also opposed the immigration bill, which has had several stops and starts in the closely divided Senate.

Republicans and Democrats alike have been deeply conflicted over the measure, which would legalize millions of unlawful immigrants, create a temporary worker program, strengthen border security and institute a new system for weeding out illegal immigrants from workplaces.

"I have consistently voted against amnesty and I will continue to do so no matter what supposedly new concoction they come up with," Enzi said.


Copyright © Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


http://billingsgazette.net/articles/...g/32-votes.txt