Congress

Washington, D.C. – Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) issues the following statement about Congress’s passage of HR 5021: “Yesterday Congress acted to treat the insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund as little more than a pothole needing a quick patch. While the legislation passed yesterday was urgently necessary, it does […]

Oppose Broun Amendment to T-HUD Appropriations Bill (H.R. 4745) Dear Representative: On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I write to express opposition to the Broun amendment to H.R. 4745, the House FY 15 T-HUD legislation.  This amendment undermines Amtrak’s ability to provide the rail service that passengers and communities have come to […]

As extremists in the House and Senate toy with their strategy du jour–threaten a government shutdown and force the United States to default on its debt–I want to offer a simple congressional questionnaire for our elected officials. [Note: I have provided the answers below just in case you’re unsure.] A little background first. The issues […]

I had the privilege of gathering with leaders and activists of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, or PASS, at the union’s 2013 convention.  We discussed the challenges we’ve met head-on and sharpened our focus on the fights that remain. PASS National President Mike Perrone and his team are doing a great job as they focus […]

Congress officially closed for a five-week recess at the end of July.  Five weeks—that’s quite a contrast to the struggles that so many Americans are facing as the economic recovery remains slow.  And with “austerity politics” gripping Washington and the nation, many Americans are just taking a pass on vacation as they wonder if extremists […]

The U.S. is home to the busiest and safest aviation system in the world and thousands of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees make sure it stays that way every day.   But some in Congress, those who think we should cut our way to prosperity, are prepared to allow sequestration  — across-the-board cuts — to go […]

As Congress rushes to finish its official business for September and depart for another session of politicking, there’s something ugly lurking around the corner — sequestration. You remember that ill-advised contingency plan that was supposed to scare the ‘Super Committee’ into identifying $1.2 trillion in deficit reductions? Thanks to the Republican obstructionist agenda, a standoff […]