Obama instructs defense contractors to break the law

STATEMEN T BY SENATORS McCAIN, GRAHAM AND AYOTTE ON OBAMA ADMINISTRATION GUIDANCE ON SEQUESTRATION LAYOFF NOTICES

U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) released the following statement on Obama Administration guidance issued today instructing defense companies and other government contractors not to issue mass layoff notices to their employees, as is required under the WARN Act, in anticipation of the $109 billion in across-the-board budget cuts scheduled to occur under sequestration on January 2, 2013:


“Today, President Obama put his own reelection ahead of the interests of working Americans and our national security by promising government contractors that their salary and liability costs will be covered at taxpayer expense if they do not follow the law that requires advance warning to employees of jobs that may be lost due to sequestration.

“The WARN Act exists to protect workers by providing at least 60 days’ notice of layoffs from government contracting work. But today, the Office of Management and Budget published guidance for the defense industry and other government contractors that they do not have to provide that notice now even though, under current law, $109 billion in across-the-board budget cuts scheduled to occur on January 2 are estimated to result in as many as 1 million lost defense jobs.

“Apparently, President Obama puts politics ahead of American workers by denying them adequate time to plan their finances and take care of their families. The people who work in the defense industry and other government contracting companies deserve as much notice as possible that they are on track to lose their jobs.

“As a result of the OMB guidance, the Department of Defense will have to allow companies to claim repayment for the salaries of workers who are laid off but did not receive the required WARN notices – a cost to the taxpayer that could be as much as $4 billion. In addition, DOD will have to reimburse companies for any legal damages paid to workers who are laid off but did not receive the required WARN notices – a cost that is inestimable.

“Facing intense lobbying by defense companies and other government contractors for financial protection if they agreed not to issue WARN notices, the Obama Administration is giving contractors a free pass and will have potentially stuck the taxpayers with a multi-billion dollar campaign contribution.

The new Decider-in-Chief-- particularly when it helps a re-election.

This is getting completely out of hand.

reply to post by loam


Are you not, in your own way helping it to "get out of hand?" Political affiliation is the new religion.

Suppose I better write "second" here lest I attract the ATS police.

reply to post by PW229


Nope creating a topic for discussion to create awareness of the current "all about me regime" in Washington is not adding to the "problem".

This was about getting re elected by screwing everyone else,

reply to post by PW229


And what political affiliation do you suspect I suffer from?

This ought to be good...



reply to post by neo96


Thank you.

This on it's face is utterly laughable. Like these evil bastards need any instruction on breaking the law...come on for Kripes sakes, they make sh$t to kill people!!! And alot of it!! AND dream up new, inventive ways to spill oceans of blood. OP thanks for making me chuckle...how friggin ABSURD.

Originally posted by HUMBLEONE
Like these evil bastards need any instruction on breaking the law...

No doubt, but this thread isn't about THEM. It's about a President who blatantly instructs violation of the law.

What's absurd is how little outrage there is for that.

Originally posted by loam

Originally posted by HUMBLEONE
Like these evil bastards need any instruction on breaking the law...

No doubt, but this thread isn't about THEM. It's about a President who blatantly instructs violation of the law.

What's absurd is how little outrage there is for that.

Here is what I figured out so far. Once these politicians figured out that there is no way for the average citizen to stop their evil plans or throw them out on their ass they won. Realistically what are you or I gonna do about it except bitch and complain? They know that, and they know that none of us has the time, money, or energy to fight the good fight anymore, many of us are just trying to survive. Which by no accident is the way they designed it to be. Not to mention not many of us in great enough numbers can agree on anything...

reply to post by jaynkeel


No question.

Even Congress seems to only 'bitch' about it.

We're pretty much screwed.

reply to post by loam


Actually dear OP whats truely absurd is that people still refuse to recognise the fact that government by the people and for the people does not exist. You are living in a world where corporations rule everything. Where soon every aspect of your very life will be directed by corporate edict and yet you and others still cling to the illusion of political parties. How assinine, that is one of many ways that the system keeps you seperate and distracted and fighting amongst yourselves while a couple thousand ultra-rich elite move pieces around the chess board and steal and plot to turn this into Gulag-Planet. It's time for everybody to put down his or her colored rag on a stick and start playing house instead of war. I feel sorry for you and folks like you who are wasting your time rearrainging the deck chairs while the ship sinks. For god sake man at least go and grab a snifter a a good bottle of brandy and savor it to the dreggs of the bottle.

reply to post by HUMBLEONE

Originally posted by HUMBLEONE
...I feel sorry for you and folks like you who are wasting your time rearrainging the deck chairs while the ship sinks...

Let me guess...

You're one of those revolution advocates who criticizes and insults anyone who only takes simple actions like posting on message boards or engages in conversations about these events, while .....(wait for it)....you sit in the comfort of your own chair with a keyboard in your lap.



There must be a full moon tonight.

Too bad it wasn't Obama that told them not to send out the notices. It was the Labor Department.

But the Labor Department contends such notices are unnecessary – and would be contrary to the spirit of the WARN Act. The department’s memo notes that the law allows for exceptions in cases of “unforeseen business circumstances.”

Sequestration, it says, is just such a circumstance because it’s not yet known how the cuts would be carried out, and there’s still a chance lawmakers will reach a deal to stave them off.

A Labor Department spokeswoman declined to discuss the issue, instead providing a list of experts she said could explain the memo.

www.politico.com...

The Labor Department advisory said the circumstances surrounding the planned cuts were too uncertain to require defense and other federal contractors to comply with provisions of a law requiring employees to be notified 60 days before major layoffs or plant closures.

Chicago Tribune

There are two different arguments happening, if you can't see that let me help you out;

The Obama Administration is saying, "We don't expect these cuts to affect your contractors so there's no need to issue layoff statements at this time."

A few GOP senators are saying, "These cuts will affect your contractors, don't listen to the president and tell your employees they're going to get fired!"

I suppose it's really only the president playing politics here, right?

Oh, look...look at those poor, poor defense contractors...you know...the ones that have been living off the teet of the taxpayer for decades....look how they might get laid off without notice....so unfair...that has never happened to anyone before them...how un-American

reply to post by links234

Originally posted by links234
There are two different arguments happening, if you can't see that let me help you out;

The Obama Administration is saying, "We don't expect these cuts to affect your contractors so there's no need to issue layoff statements at this time."

A few GOP senators are saying, "These cuts will affect your contractors, don't listen to the president and tell your employees they're going to get fired!"

I suppose it's really only the president playing politics here, right?

That's like saying I think you can drive drunk, because you wont kill anybody.

It's no wonder the Rule of Law has been so abrogated in this county. So few obviously understand its importance.

*sigh*

reply to post by LeatherNLace


Another one who completely misses the point of this thread.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Oh, that's right. I forgot Presidents aren't responsible for the Executive Branch and it's actions.

Silly me.

Originally posted by LeatherNLace
Oh, look...look at those poor, poor defense contractors...you know...the ones that have been living off the teet of the taxpayer for decades....look how they might get laid off without notice....so unfair...that has never happened to anyone before them...how un-American

Those defense contractors employ millions and make thousands of other products, that employ millions of other people that all create tax revenue paying for those people who are "living off the government teet".

Where do people end up who are jobless?

Oh on those social programs that have no funds to pay for them,

Originally posted by loam
reply to post by LeatherNLace

 

Another one who completely misses the point of this thread.

I didn't miss the point at all. Would you have made the same thread if the story was "Obama instructs teachers union to break the law"? I doubt it. That is my point.

Still, I wouldn't feel sorry for the teachers anymore than I feel sorry for these defense contractors....fact is that they have been living on the government teat for far too long. When times are tough and cuts must be made, the bottom line matters most....not partisan politics.

Another one who doesn't get it.

reply to post by loam


Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that the President is responsible for every action, of every person, in every department of the Executive Branch. Do you realize how many decisions are made every day? He wouldn't get anything else done if he had to oversee every single decision made by every single person.

What about the other branches of Gov't? You're saying that if some congressional secretary, in some obscure office, makes a bad decision, then the heads of Congress are responsible for that too?

reply to post by neo96


So...what you're saying is that without the government financing these contractors, millions of people will lose their jobs because...obviously, those contractors 'didn't build that.' However, we all know that government doesn't create jobs so...I'm sure that fits in this narrative somehow.

The point is, the administration doesn't see how these cuts (even if they do occur) are going to affect DoD contractors and doesn't suggest sending out notices at this time. Three GOP senators however, believe that all of these contractors are likely to lose their jobs and suggests their employers give them 60 days notice because 1) They're unwilling to prevent this from happening and 2) they want to blame the president for costing these contractors their jobs before the election. As we're all aware what gets said once, even if it's way off base and completely untrue, usually sticks better than the silent truth.

So I reiterate, the only side playing politics here are the three GOP senators who felt the need to issue a press release declaring their position on this non-topic.