Rangel: Wis. proposal attempts to ‘crush the union movement’

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) described proposed budget cuts in Wisconsin as a full-scale assault on unions across the country. 

“Look, the attempt in Wisconsin is to use the budget process in order to crush the union movement…across the state, across the states of the United States of America,” he said Friday on “Fox News.”

The effort to use the budget process to eliminate unions will not succeed, Rangel said. 

“To think that you’re going to destroy the labor movement and use the budget deficit as an excuse is just not going to happen,” he said. 

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker proposed aggressive cuts to benefits for public employees and reining in collective bargain rights. The proposal prompted Democratic senators to flee the state to block a vote. 

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said that in addressing deficits, palliative measures should target Wall Street rather than public employees. 

“The Wall Street conglomerate of America drove this country to the brink of extinction, our economy. And then we bailed them out,” he said, speaking on the same program. “And now we come back and we say to working men and women who have collectively bargaining agreement we want another bailout on your back.”

Gutierrez called on all Americans to “share in the sacrifice.” 

“You want union workers and public employees in Wisconsin to sacrifice, I say the richest of the rich should also sacrifice,” he said.