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Mike Pence on Jobs
Republian nominee for Vice President; Governor of Indiana; former Representative (IN-6)
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Right of every American to join a union or not
Q: Last week, you said you side with [striking autoworkers], but you also support how these companies operate. Which is it?PENCE: I'm from the 2nd-leading manufacturing state, per capita. As Governor of Indiana, we brought 12,000 factories back to
America. I know something about manufacturing. And while the union bosses are talking about class warfare, and disparity in wages, I really believe what's driving that is Bidenomics has failed. Wages are not keeping up with inflation. Autoworkers and
all American workers are feeling it. And families are struggling in this economy. Joe Biden's Green New Deal agenda is good for Beijing, and bad for Detroit. We ought to repeal the Green New Deal, get rid of the mandates and subsidies that are driving
American gasoline automotive manufacturing, into the graveyard. As President, I'll be standing with workers, all across America, for the right to work, [for the right] of every American, to join a union or not join a union, as they decide.
Source: Fox Business 2023 Republican primary debate in Simi Valley
, Sep 27, 2023
Government mandates on energy kill jobs
HARRIS: Joe understands that the west coast is burning. Joe has seen and talked with the farmers in Iowa whose entire crops have been destroyed because of floods. Joe is about saying we're going to invest that in renewable energy, which is going to be
about the creation of millions of jobs. We will achieve net zero emissions by 2050, carbon neutral by 2035. We will also reenter the Climate Agreement with pride.PENCE: You just heard the Senator say that she's going to resubmit America to the
Paris climate accord. Look, the American people have always cherished our environment and will continue to cherish it. We've made great progress reducing CO2 emissions through American innovation and the development
of natural gas through fracking. We don't need a massive $2 trillion Green New Deal that would impose new mandates on businesses. Joe Biden wants us to retrofit four million business buildings.
Source: 2020 Vice-Presidential Debate in Utah
, Oct 7, 2020
Raising minimum wage is inflationary; would eliminate jobs
According to a Mike Pence press release obtained via Congressional Press Releases, "'Minimum wage increases raise unemployment among teenagers, minorities and part-time workers. The minimum wage violates fundamental free market economics. It costs jobs,
and I cannot support policies that will take jobs from those who need a paycheck the most." [Congressional Press Releases, 7/29/06]"[Pence's opponent] supports an increase in the minimum wage, currently at $3.35 an hour. Pence opposes an increase,
saying it would be inflationary. Pence referred to a study that concluded that increasing the minimum wage could eliminate 12,000 jobs in the 2nd District by 1992." [Indianapolis Star, 10/12/88]
"In 2013, House Democrats proposed a bill that would
bring the minimum wage to $8.25. Governor Mike Pence made his opposition apparent when he signed into law a bill that prohibits local governments from requiring a higher wage." [Indiana Statesman: Indiana State University, 9/24/14]
Source: Trump Research Book on Mike Pence
, Sep 22, 2020
2010: to create jobs, need across the board tax relief
Pence recounted a touching story: "I met a little African-American boy, in eighth grade, named David Carter Jr. His family had been struggling with the economy. His dad said, 'There's just no words.' Mr. President, would you consider embracing-in the
name of David Carter Jr. and his dad, in the name of every struggling family in the country--the kind of across-the board tax relief we have advocated for?"Obama ticked through a defense of his tax cuts in the stimulus bill, the state of the economy
when he took office, and other means. The one thing he didn't mention, because he didn't have to; Why would a family living in a homeless shelter need a tax cut?
Pence's question sounded a lot like the answer he gave on jobs decades earlier, at the
October 2000 congressional debate in Muncie; the unfettered free market would provide. But would it? It hadn't provided for this family in Baltimore, or recently for the families in Muncie, Indiana. Was there something Pence was missing?
Source: Piety & Power, by Tom LoBianco, p.154-5
, Sep 14, 2019
Increasing minimum wage causes lay offs
[In the 1988 electoral race, Rep. Phil] Sharp and Pence finally met on the debate stage, on October11.[On minimum wage]: "Increasing the minimum wage would cause businesses to lay off workers, he said' when
you guys raise the guy on the bottom rung of the ladder, you have to raise everybody else's." He blasted Sharp and the Democrats on spending: "Their answer to every social ill is to spend more money."
Source: Piety & Power, by Tom LoBianco, p. 61-2
, Sep 14, 2019
Indiana's unemployment rate was cut in half since 2013
Pence asserted, "In the state of Indiana, we've cut unemployment in half; unemployment doubled when [Kaine] was governor." Are both true?Fact Check: While the claim is factual, Kaine's gubernatorial tenure ended in 2010 (the year when
the national unemployment rate peaked) and Pence's gubernatorial tenure began in 2013 (i.e., more than 2 years after the Great Recession officially ended and the national economy was expanding).
Source: FactCheck.org on 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate
, Oct 4, 2016
Blocked statewide & local minimum wage increase
Pence signed a law capping Indiana minimum wage and employee benefits. In 2013, Pence mustered Republican State House opposition to a proposal that would have increased Indiana's minimum wage to
$8.25 per hour despite national support for raising the wage to $9. According to The Times of Northwest Indiana,
Pence had previously signed legislation "prohibit[ing] local governments from requiring businesses [to] pay a higher minimum wage, or offer any working condition or benefit, such as paid sick leave, if it's not mandated by state or federal law."
On May 6, 2015, Pence continued his campaign against living wages by repealing a law guaranteeing that "prevailing wages" be paid to workers on publicly funded construction projects. [The Times of Northwest Indiana, 11/12/13, 5/6/15]
Source: Media Matters on 2016 Veepstakes: "What Media Should Know"
, Jul 14, 2016
Defended Indiana's "Right-To-Work" law
On Feb. 1, 2012, Indiana set off a cascade of union-busting legislation from Republican statehouses in the Midwest when it became the first state in more than a decade, and 23rd state overall, to enact a so-called "right-to-work" law. The law, barring
union contracts from requiring that non-union members pay representation fees, was signed by outgoing Gov. Mitch Daniels, and created a template for future GOP-led attacks on unions in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. In separate rulings delivered in
Sept. 2013 and July 2014, two judges in Lake County, IN, concluded that the legislation violated "the state constitution's guarantee of compensation for services." Stating unequivocally that "Indiana is a right-to-work state," Gov. Mike Pence appealed
the ruling to the state's Supreme Court and won a unanimous decision upholding the law in November 2014. [AFL-CIO, 1/19/12; The New York Times, 2/1/12; The Times of Northwest Indiana, 7/25/14, 8/22/14; Courthouse News Service, 11/10/14].
Source: Media Matters on 2016 Veepstakes: "What Media Should Know"
, Jul 14, 2016
Education is critical to our success in job creation
Our nation is experiencing the highest unemployment rate among teenagers and young adults in American history. When we look at our workforce and ways to improve it, we must begin & end with education. From pre-K to high school & beyond, a young person's
learning makes the difference between graduation and a constant game of catch-up throughout their lives. The Jobs for America's Graduates program fully understands this importance and has one of the highest impacts of improving employment of any
program assessed. The very first policy goal we announced was to reprioritize career, technical and vocational education in every high school in Indiana.
My job as Governor is to help make Indiana such a great place that you wouldn't think of going
any place else. So how do we do that? We start by creating good jobs and by recognizing that education is critical to our success in job creation. Strong schools help companies attract talented employees and develop the quality employees of the future.
Source: Speech at Jobs for America's Graduates event
, Mar 14, 2014
$700B stimulus did not deliver promised employment
Rep. PENCE: Your administration told us that we'd have to borrow more than $700 billion to pay for a so-called stimulus bill. It was a piecemeal list of projects and boutique tax cuts, all of which--we were told--had to be passed or unemployment would
go to 8%, as your administration said. Well, unemployment is 10% now. Pres. OBAMA: You're absolutely right that when I was sworn in the hope was that unemployment would remain around 8%.
What ended up happening was that the job losses from this recession proved to be much more severe than anybody anticipated. We underestimated how severe the job losses were going to be. But those job losses took place before any stimulus, whether it
was the ones that you guys have proposed or the ones that we proposed, could have ever taken into effect. Now, that's just the fact, Mike, and I don't think anybody would dispute that. You could not find an economist who would dispute that.
Source: Obama Q&A at 2010 House Republican retreat in Baltimore
, Jan 29, 2010
Rated 7% by the AFL-CIO, indicating an anti-union voting record.
Pence scores 7% by the AFL-CIO on union issues
As the federation of America’s unions, the AFL-CIO includes more than 13 million of America’s workers in 60 member unions working in virtually every part of the economy. The mission of the AFL-CIO is to improve the lives of working families to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our nation. To accomplish this mission we will build and change the American labor movement.
The following ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization`s preferred position.
Source: AFL-CIO website 03n-AFLCIO on Dec 31, 2003
Rated 100% by CEI, indicating a pro-workplace choice voting record.
Pence scores 100% by CEI on union issues
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a public policy organization dedicated to the principles of free markets and limited government, has created a Congressional Labor Scorecard for the 112th Congress focusing on worker issues. The score is determined based on policies that support worker freedom and the elimination of Big Labor`s privileges across the country.
Votes in the current Congress score include:- Bill: H.R. 658, LaTourette Amendment No. 21: NO on repealing changes to the Railway Labor Act`s voting rules.
- Bill: H.R. 658, Gingrey Amendment No. 18: YES to prohibit Federal Aviation Administration employees from using official--that is, taxpayer sponsored--time for union activities during the official workday.
- Bill: H.R. 1, Price Amendment No. 410: YES to defund the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
- Bill: H.R. 1, Guinta Amendment No. 166:
YES to prohibit imposing `prevailing wage` and other requirements in project labor agreements that advantage unionized contractors.
- Bill: H.R. 2017, Scalise Amendment No. 388: YES to prohibit project labor agreements in DHS contracts
- Bill: H.R. 2055, LaTourette Amendment No. 411: NO on funding for federal project labor agreements.
- Bill: H.R. 1, King Amendment No. 273: YES to eliminate the `Davis Bacon` prevailing wage rate requirement for federal projects.
- Bill: H.R. 2017, Gosar Amendment No. 386: YES to eliminate the `Davis Bacon` prevailing wage rate requirement for Department of Homeland Security contracts.
- Bill: H.R. 2354: Gosar Amendment No. 655: YES to restrict application of the Davis-Bacon Act to contracts exceeding $20 million.
- Bill: H.R. 2017: Rokita Amendment No. 2: YES to prohibit collective bargaining at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Source: CEI website 12-CEI-H on May 2, 2012
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