[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 28, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1262-S1266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE
Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, let's turn to another attack on workers.
Our entire Constitution had a theme, had a mission statement, and that
mission statement was ``we the people,'' government of, by, and for the
people. My colleagues might be surprised to discover that the
Constitution didn't say ``we the privileged; we the wealthy; we the
well-connected; we the powerful'' because they bring bill after bill to
the floor of the Senate that is exactly government of, by, and for the
wealthy and the well-connected.
Now we see that the Supreme Court is getting in on the act in this
effort to undermine the ability of workers to organize, to get a fair
share of the wealth that they create.
Former President Jimmy Carter once said:
Every advance in this half-century--Social Security, civil
rights, Medicare, aid to education, one after another--came
with the support and leadership of American labor.
Well, he was absolutely right. I would also add a few more things to
the list, such as 8-hour workdays, the 40-hour workweek, overtime pay,
the minimum wage, family and sick leave, health and safety working
standards. When workers have organized, they have fought for better
conditions for every American--better pay, better safety, better and
fair working conditions--and America is a better nation because of it.
It is a much better nation because of the men and women of the labor
movement who have fought tirelessly to ensure that our country lives up
to that ``we the people'' vision statement. Thanks to their work, an
honest day's work means an honest day's pay for millions of Americans.
But that is exactly what the Supreme Court is poised to undo. All the
powerful and the privileged--they want even more squeezed out of the
workers, so they have spent decades really demonizing and attacking the
ability of workers to organize.
During the three decades after World War II, workers got a fair share
of the wealth they were creating. Their wages went up as productivity
went up, and it turned out that this is good for business as well
because workers who have paychecks are able to buy products, and then
the companies can sell more. The companies do well when people get paid
fairly, but that concept is about to be undermined in a massive way
with an attack on what are called fair share fees.
When workers organize and bargain for better benefits, there is a
cost of developing that organization and conducting those negotiations,
and every
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worker who benefits chips in a share under fair share fees. Everyone
wins, so everyone contributes.
This is not about contributing to political activity. It is not about
contributing funds that are distributed to causes. This is simply the
cost of the negotiating process. For this foundation to be able to
negotiate successfully, people have to share in that effort.
The heart of the right to organize has been absolutely embodied in
law for well over half a century in a case called Abood v. Detroit
Board of Education. Collective bargaining among workers doesn't work if
you create a strategy for workers to freeload; that is, to get all the
benefits without putting in any of the effort.
I am reminded of a story that I read as a very young child just
learning to read. It was about the barnyard. It was about some member
of the community baking bread and asking for help from all the other
animals--would they help with this aspect or that aspect of making the
bread. They all said: No, we are not interested in helping. At the end,
when the bread was baked, all the animals in the barnyard wanted their
share. They wanted a share of it without having contributed a thing.
That system is what the Supreme Court is trying to foist on America,
undermining the fundamental right to organize and allowing freeloaders
to essentially create a situation where you can't afford to represent
the group. Well, that undermines the success of our workers to get a
fair share of the wealth they create. It undermines their ability to
negotiate for a safer workplace.
Again, this is not about political activity; this is simply about the
function of representing a group in negotiations with the owner.
That is the case in Illinois, where Mark Janus works as a specialist
for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. He works under a
contract negotiated between the State of Illinois and the American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME. He is
not a member of the union. He is not required to be a member of the
union. But Mark Janus says: I want all the benefits that are produced
by the union organizing and negotiating on my behalf, but I don't want
to have to share any of the costs.
Everyone knows that if people are given a permission slip to not
share in the cost of organizing, the ability to organize is undermined.
It is a fundamental part of it: You negotiate together; you benefit
together. He is challenging that portion of the contract.
The powerful and privileged titans of industry have been waging a
decades-long campaign against the workers of America. They are excited
about this. Don't worry, the Koch brothers are in control. Well, we
have certainly seen their control here in the Senate. This certainly
bears on the case right before us. They invested vast sums in 2014, and
they supported and pushed campaigns in Arkansas, Louisiana, North
Carolina, Iowa, Colorado, and Alaska, and they turned those seats in
favor of folks who supported the Koch brothers. They took a majority of
this body.
What happened in 2016? Well, there was a vacant Supreme Court seat.
We have all taken a pledge to support the Constitution. We have an
advice and consent responsibility. But the majority leader came down
here and said: We are not going to do our responsibility of advice and
consent on any nominee from President Obama--none. It doesn't matter
who the nominee is; we are not going to do this. Why? Because the Koch
brothers said: Don't allow a debate or a vote on a nominee from
President Obama.
The majority leader said that this was justified because it was an
election year. Let's look at American history. Fifteen times in an
election year, there has been a vacancy on the Supreme Court. All 15
times previous to 2016, the Senate debated and the Senate voted.
There were Members of my colleague's team across the aisle who
thought we should honor that responsibility of advice and consent. You
can vote somebody down or you can vote somebody up, but we should have
the debate and we should have the vote. As soon as they said one word
about how there should be a debate or there should be a vote, they got
their chain yanked. In one case, the Koch brothers said they would
immediately put in millions of dollars against their primary opponent.
That is why the Koch brothers are known as the puppet masters of this
body right here in which I stand right now. When they say ``jump,'' the
majority says ``how high?'' That certainly came to fruition in 2016
when they refused to exercise their constitutional responsibility to
debate and vote on a nominee for the Supreme Court. That was done so
that the empty seat would be passed on to the next President. That is
the first time in U.S. history a Supreme Court seat has been stolen and
passed on to the next President--the only time.
Well, what does that result in? That results in a Supreme Court that
now has been selected where we know four people stand on one side of
the issue and four stand on the other side. Then you have, essentially,
an illegitimate process for the ninth Justice--a Justice who by every
indication is willing to join the other four in attacking the
foundation of the right to organize in our Nation. That right to
organize was envisioned in the Constitution, in the ``we the people''
Constitution, not ``we the powerful,'' not ``we the privileged,'' not
``we the wealthy,'' and not ``we the well-connected.''
Mr. Janus is being represented and funded by the National Right to
Work Foundation. Let's call it the right to freeload because that is
what it is. You don't contribute your share, but you get all the
benefits.
It reminds me a little bit of the conversation about citizenship in
America. People talk about the rights of citizenship and their
responsibilities of citizenship too. There are responsibilities of
being part of a group when you bargain for wages. That means paying
your fair share. So it is their share. It is the heart of the ability
to organize versus the position orchestrated by the Koch brothers to
assault the ability to organize in this country so that workers can get
a fair share of the wealth they work to create.
We have seen these right-to-freeload bills pass with the influence of
the titans across this country in State after State. Here is what we
know. In those States that protect the constitutional vision of the
right to organize, workers earn over $5,000 a year more than in other
States. In the right-to-freeload States, workers earn a lot less. And
that is apparently why the owners of the companies love that action so
much--because they can squeeze more out of the workers. The right-to-
freeload States have higher poverty. They have higher infant mortality.
They have higher workplace deaths than other States. They support
public schools less than other States.
It is a mistake to have a Court assembled through an illegitimate
process of stealing a Supreme Court seat proceed to gut the
constitutional right to organize and assault the workers of this Nation
just to put more zeros on the bank account statements of the
millionaires and billionaires and titans and wealthy and powerful
Americans.
Let's have a remedial course in this Chamber about what our Nation
and our Constitution are all about. It is not about coming here and
getting elected by the wealthiest Americans to serve the wealthiest
Americans; it is about coming here to form laws that serve ``we the
people.'' Thomas Jefferson made this point again and again. He said
that if you concentrate power in the few, you will get power from the
powerful--you will get decisions from the powerful. You will never get
the will of the people if you concentrate power. He called on every
voter to have an equal voice--not just a vote but an equal voice.
So let's remember Jefferson. Let's remember that our Forefathers put
together this document so that we wouldn't have government by the few
and the powerful, such as they have in Europe, but this would be
different here in the United States of America, where we would try to
forge laws that gave all families the opportunity to thrive.
We can see the impact that the reversal of this principle has had. We
spent half of last year on a healthcare bill or versions of a
healthcare bill designed to rip healthcare from 22 to 30 million
Americans, depending on the version. Then we spent the other part of
the year on a tax bill designed to borrow
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$1.5 trillion from our children and deliver the vast amount of the
benefits to the wealthiest of Americans. That is government for and by
the powerful. Let's return to government for and by the people.
Thank you, Mr. President.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
Remembering Billy Graham
Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, I want to spend a few minutes talking about
your fellow North Carolinian, Billy Graham. It is very appropriate that
you are in the Chair as I do this--and some of my colleagues are going
to follow--as we honor the life and legacy of Billy Graham.
He was sometimes called America's Preacher, and sometimes called
America's Pastor, but he went to Heaven last week. And what a 99 years
he had while he was here.
He lies in honor today. You and I were over there earlier today in
the Rotunda of the Capitol. Only three private citizens prior to today
have been granted that honor: civil rights champion Rosa Parks in 2005
and two U.S. Capitol police officers who died in the line of duty in
1998, Officer Jacob Chestnut, Jr., and Detective John Gibson.
Somebody observed this morning while we were in the Rotunda of the
Capitol that he is surrounded there by friends he made during his life.
President Eisenhower, President Ford, President Reagan, Dr. Martin
Luther King all are memorialized with statues and a bust in the
Capitol. So Billy Graham is right at home today with people he made
friends with during his life, gave advice to during his life, but never
really saw as uniquely his ministry. His ministry was for people
everywhere.
I might mention that President Truman--and I stand right here behind
one of the desks he used when he was a Senator from Missouri. He was
the first President that Billy Graham met with, in 1950. President
Truman, like lots of us midwesterners, closely held with his faith.
When Billy Graham, at the end of their meeting, said ``Can we pray?''
President Truman said ``I guess it wouldn't hurt anything.'' That was
the first opportunity Billy Graham had to pray with the many Presidents
he prayed with and, I am sure, prayed for after that.
Billy Graham's mom and dad were dairy farmers like mine. He was born
in Charlotte, NC. President Trump said this morning that there was a
prayer meeting in 1934 on the Graham farm. Billy Graham's father made
the place available to have a prayer meeting. The focus of that prayer
group of leaders from the Charlotte, NC, area was to pray that God
would send a leader who would take the Gospel around the world.
Probably nobody at that prayer group had any sense how close they were
to somebody who was just about to begin the process to do that.
That was the year Billy Graham became a Christian. From that point
on, he would say: ``My one purpose in life is to help people find a
personal relationship with God, which, I believe, comes through knowing
Christ.'' That is the end of a quote on his view. For so many times and
in so many different ways, that was a simple statement that defined his
life.
Five years after that, in 1939, he was ordained and became a pastor.
He was pastoring at a church in Illinois while he went to college at
Wheaton College. His Wheaton College education was important, but I am
sure he would say that the best thing that happened there was that he
met his wife, Ruth Bell. They were married for 64 years. It was a
partnership. As one person went all over the world, the other person
raised their five children and took care of things at home and on rare
occasions was able to go with him. Her mom and dad were missionaries.
This was clearly a committed life that she understood.
All five of their children were in the Rotunda of the Capitol today
and in their own way, in each case, have pursued the work their parents
thought was so important.
Reverend Graham didn't just preach the Gospel from inside the four
walls of the church; in fact, I think it was a rare occasion when he
preached in a church as opposed to the places that he preached all over
the world.
In 1949, he spoke to 350,000 people over 8 weeks in Los Angeles. He
began to call those efforts crusades, and eventually over 200 million
people would hear the message from him directly, in person. Millions
more would hear the message from television, print, and movies.
By the way, I read recently that Billy Graham--a young, handsome
guy--was offered a movie contract not too long after that 1949 Los
Angeles crusade. He said that was not his job and that he wouldn't do
it for $1 million a day. His work was clearly understood by him.
He shared Christianity with more people directly than any other
person in the history of the world.
He led his first crusade in St. Louis, MO, in our State, in 1953. He
returned in 1973 for another St. Louis crusade and to celebrate his
55th birthday. The Post-Dispatch reported that the revival's opening
night had 20,000 people, and 4,000 people were in the choir most of the
nights at that revival in St. Louis.
He made several trips to Kansas City. In 1967, the Heart of America
crusade in Kansas City drew 364,000 people. The then-mayor of Kansas
City, Ilus Davis, made Reverend Graham an honorary citizen and gave him
a key to the city. He returned to Kansas City, MO, many times doing
that work.
In 1959, he came to my hometown of Springfield, MO. I was pleased to
read just recently that he said that the Ozarks reminded him of his
native North Carolina.
In 1982, he spoke to a crowd at Evangel University--and this was
inside--of 2,200 people.
For seven decades, Billy Graham brought the Gospel to nearly 215
million people. Despite his widespread recognition, he was always known
for his humility. Whether speaking with a person on the street or the
President, his main purpose was for them to share his sense of the
importance of knowing his Lord, Jesus Christ. He had a message of
grace, not justice; that God could forgive anything, God would forgive
anything; and that nobody gets to Heaven based on their works, they get
to Heaven based on their understanding of the grace of God.
He defended civil rights for African Americans. He insisted from the
early 1950s on--actually, from the beginning of his crusades--that they
would be integrated. He was a friend of Dr. Martin Luther King's. In
1957, he invited Dr. King to speak at one of his revival meetings. He
later bailed Dr. King out of jail. Dr. King said: ``Had it not been for
the ministry of my good friend Dr. Billy Graham, my work in the civil
rights movement would not have been as successful as it has been.''
Reverend Graham spoke about critical issues. His faith inspired him
to build bridges for decades. He was included in the Gallup
organization's 10 most admired men in the world 61 times--more than
anyone else in the history of that poll. He led a remarkable, faith-
filled life. He touched many lives.
I ask unanimous consent that the February 23 Wall Street Journal
article be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Wall Street Journal, Feb. 23, 2018]
How Billy Graham Changed My Life
(By George W. Bush)
Billy Graham was, with C.S. Lewis, one of the 20th
century's most influential figures in evangelicalism. I never
had the honor of meeting Lewis, but I did know Billy, who
died last week at 99. He changed my life.
I first met him on my grandmother's porch in Kennebunkport,
Maine, in 1985. In her 80s, she was frail but sharp. They sat
together and Billy held her hand while talking about the
Bible. Later she described it as one of the most peaceful
days of her life.
Soon after, I had my own personal encounter with Billy. As
I wrote in ``Decision Points,'' he asked me to go for a walk
with him around Walker's Point. I was captivated by him. He
had a powerful presence, full of kindness and grace, and a
keen mind. He asked about my life in Texas. I talked to him
about Laura and our little girls.
Then I mentioned something I'd been thinking about for a
while--that reading the Bible might help make me a better
person. He told me about one of the Bible's most fundamental
lessons: One should strive to be better, but we're all
sinners who earn God's love not through our good deeds, but
through His grace. It was a profound concept, one I did not
fully grasp that day. But Billy had planted a seed. His
thoughtful explanation made the soil less hard, the brambles
less thick.
Shortly after we got back to Texas, a package from Billy
arrived. It was a copy of the
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Living Bible. He had inscribed it and included a reference to
Philippians 1:6: ``And I am certain that God, who began the
good work within you, will continue his work until it is
finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.''
God's work within me began in earnest with Billy's
outreach. His care and his teachings were the real beginning
of my faith walk--and the start of the end of my drinking. I
couldn't have given up alcohol on my own. But in 1986, at 40,
I finally found the strength to quit. That strength came from
love I had felt from my earliest days and from faith I didn't
fully discover until my later years.
I was also fortunate to witness Billy's remarkable capacity
to minister to everyone he met. When I was governor of Texas,
I sat behind Billy at one of his crusades in San Antonio. His
powerful message of God's love moved people to tears and
motivated hundreds to come forward to commit themselves to
Christ. I remember thinking about all the crusades Billy had
led over the years around the world, and his capacity to open
up hearts to Jesus. This good man was truly a shepherd of the
Lord.
Perhaps his most meaningful service came on Sept. 14, 2001.
After the 9/11 attacks, I asked Billy to lead the ecumenical
service at Washington National Cathedral. It was no easy
task. America was on bended knee--frightened, angry,
uncertain. As only Billy Graham could, he helped us feel
God's arms wrapped around our mourning country.
``We come together today,'' he began, ``to affirm our
conviction that God cares for us, whatever our ethnic,
religious or political background may be. The Bible says that
he is `the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our
troubles.' '' God comforted a nation that day through a very
special servant.
In a difficult moment, Billy reminded me--and us all--where
we can find strength. And he helped us start to heal by
offering three lessons: the mystery and reality of evil, our
need for each other, and hope for the present and future.
``As a Christian,'' Graham said at the 9/11 service, ``I have
hope, not just for this life, but for heaven and the life to
come.''
A final story: One night while dad was away on a trip
during his presidency, mother and I had dinner at the White
House. Eventually we got to talking about religion and who
gets to go to heaven. I made the point that the New Testament
says clearly that to get to heaven, one must believe in
Christ. Mother asked about the devout who don't believe in
Jesus but do God's work by serving others. She then took
advantage of one of the benefits of being first lady. She
picked up the phone and asked the White House operator to
call Reverend Graham.
It wasn't long before his reassuring Southern voice was on
the line. He told us, as I recall, ``Barbara and George, I
believe what is written in the New Testament. But don't play
God. He decides who goes to heaven, not you.'' Any doctrinal
certitude gave way to a calm trust that God had this figured
out better than I did.
Those of us who were blessed to know Billy Graham benefited
from his deep convictions and personal example, his wisdom
and humility, his grace and purity of heart. We knew that his
life was a gift from the Almighty. And I rejoice that he is
now in the company of God, whom he loved so much and served
so well.
Mr. BLUNT. In that article, George W. Bush talked about the impact
Billy Graham had on his life. My favorite line from that article talked
about when George W. Bush's father was President, and his father was
gone, and he and his mother Barbara were having dinner at the White
House. They began to argue a little bit about what it took to get to
Heaven. So Mrs. Bush just decided, well, we will call Billy Graham and
ask him what it takes to get to Heaven. If anybody would know, Billy
Graham would know. According to President Bush, here is what Billy
Graham said to them:
Barbara and George, I believe what is written in the New
Testament. But don't play God. He decides who goes to heaven,
not you.
We spend a lot of time arguing about lots of things, but a grace-
filled life, a life built on the fundamental principles of the Gospel,
is a life that we have benefited from and we uniquely recognize today.
I am glad to be here with my colleagues on the floor as we talk about
this great life and the impact it had.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cotton). The Senator from South Dakota.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I also want to join my colleague from
Missouri, Senator Blunt, and others today to pay tribute to the life of
Billy Graham.
Last week we lost a man of great faith. At the end of the Gospel of
Matthew, Jesus gives his disciples the Great Commission, where he says:
``Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to
obey everything that I have commanded you.''
If any one man may be said to have fulfilled that charge, it is Billy
Graham. Over a ministry that spanned more than 60 years, Billy Graham
truly made disciples of all nations, preaching the Gospel in the United
States and around the world.
In the days since his death, many have remembered Billy Graham as a
spiritual adviser to several Presidents, which he was, but neither his
association with Presidents nor the famous of this world ever
distracted him from his primary purpose, which was making sure that the
Good News of Christ reached everyone. From China, to South Africa, to
Russia, to Australia, to his home State of North Carolina and his
countless appearances on television, video, and the internet, Billy
Graham labored tirelessly for the Gospel. I think it is fair to say
that no one in our lifetime has lived a life of greater impact for the
cause of Christ.
I remember, as a young child growing up in my home State of South
Dakota, when the crusades would come on--my parents and I we would turn
them on--you would have Billy Graham, George Beverly Shea, Cliff
Barrows, and the message of hope, grace, and redemption that came
across so clearly. It impacted so many people, not only here in the
United States but all around the world.
It was great to hear Michael W. Smith today singing that great song,
``Just As I Am,'' that was always sung at the end of every Billy Graham
crusade as an invitation for people to come to know the Lord whom he
knew.
My wife Kimberley and I am were privileged to sing in the choir for
Billy Graham's 1986 crusade here in Washington, DC. It was an
experience that neither of us will ever forget. He reminded everyone
that ultimately, there is one thing that matters in life, and that is
serving Christ.
In the days since his death, many people have repeated one of Billy
Graham's quotes where he paraphrased the American evangelist Dwight L.
Moody. I think it sums up Billy Graham's message pretty effectively. It
said:
Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead.
Don't you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I
am now. I will just change my address. I will have gone into
the presence of God.
I remember in that 1986 crusade, there was a story that was written--
presumably in the Washington Post--in which he was interviewed. I am
paraphrasing, but I remember that a question was asked about what he
wanted to be remembered for, what he wanted his epitaph to be when he
died, and he said ``that I preached the Gospel of Christ. That I had
opportunities to do other things, but that I never deviated.'' Mr.
President, he never deviated.
Billy Graham has departed this life, and we mourn him, but I am
confident that right now he is rejoicing in the presence of the Lord.
In the Book of Acts, it talks about King David, and it says that he
served God's purpose for his generation. I think it can be said that
Billy Graham truly did serve God's purpose for his generation. Many
generations of Americans and many generations of people all over the
world have been so impacted by his life and his very consequential
ministry.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, today America and the world have lost a
great man in Billy Graham. As Senator Thune said in his own remarks
quoting Billy Graham, don't grieve for Billy Graham--he has not gone
anywhere except to be at the right hand of his Father Almighty at home
in Heaven. He has left us, but he is in Heaven.
For his entire life, 99 years, he witnessed on behalf of that place
called Heaven and his Father to try to take his message around the
world and to people around the world.
I spend a lot of time working with young people, and when I do, many
times I work with them in my church. I taught Sunday school for 30
years. That is a hard challenge sometimes, trying to figure out what it
is you are going to do to get through to people, especially young
people, but I learned from Billy Graham that the best way to teach
people about God is to witness for God. Billy Graham was the preeminent
witness for faith, if there ever were one.
We all could turn on the TV tonight and find a televangelist who, for
a $25
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donation, will send you a Bible and a cross and tell you that you are
saved. That is not true. You may be saved from him, but you haven't
been saved with Jesus.
Billy Graham lived the kind of life that teaches all of us that we
should respect and understand and honor what Jesus Christ stands for
and what Christianity means, and we should live our lives as an example
to others of what it is like to be a Christian.
In the sadness of the loss of Billy Graham, I am reminded of the Book
of Thessalonians and Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, where in two
of the shortest verses in the Bible, he says:
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing.
In terms of Billy Graham's life, I think we are in that period of
time right now. We should rejoice for the great service that he gave to
all of us, the great messages he brought in his crusades around the
world, and we should pray without ceasing that the world will continue
to be blessed by God and by great people like Billy Graham and those
who would follow him and, in our small way, if we will do the
witnessing we need to do to see to it that we are disciples of that
faith and for Jesus Christ.
For me, coming to the floor today, I have an important task, because
witnessing and evangelism is about other people taking the message for
other folks.
____________________