CongressDaily: Sen. Harkin downplays likelihood of quick EFCA passage
Congress Daily, a subscription service of National Journal, reports this morning that efforts to pass a compromise version of “the Employee Free Choice Act have been put firmly on the chamber's back burner -- perhaps for the rest of the year -- as senators, aides and lobbyists focus on health care and other legislation.” The report, by Dan Friedman and Carrie Dann, quotes Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) as saying: "We're not doing anything right now." Sen. Harkin has been the lead Senate advocate for EFCA while Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) is recovering from medical issues. The report asserts that the group working on compromise language has not met in two weeks and is not likely to do so before the August recess. As for action on EFCA after the recess, the writers note quote Sen. Harkin as saying: "We've got the healthcare bill; we've got appropriations bills, and we're lacking two senators that we need right now."
As we noted yesterday, unnamed aides to some Senate Democrats have hinted that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) may be planning a maneuver where a compromise bill is introduced and rushed through “before anyone can mobilize against it." Mr. Friedman and Ms. Dann noted that such a strategy was rumored, but cited their own unnamed aides as offering: “that prospect is not likely soon.”
According to Mr. Froiedman and Ms. Dann:
Labor sources say union leaders are meeting regularly to discuss potential compromise language but conceded the absence of Sens. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., and Health Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Edward Kennedy has drained much of the urgency from efforts to solidify a deal.
