AFSCME to Spend $2 Million on Democratic Agenda
The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) will spend in excess of $2 million in the first few weeks of the Democratic-controlled Congress to lobby for several of the party's first-100-hour agenda items, union president Gerald McEntee tells U.S. News.
The effort, to be directed at the general public, will include "a mobilization, phone banks, mailings," he says. "I don't know if we're going up on TV."
The union, which spent $35 million in the election this fall, will meet with House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader-elect Harry Reid on Thursday to discuss the party's plans. McEntee said the union's push will include bills to increase the minimum wage and to make student loans more affordable, which he expects to pass easily. In addition, the union may get behind one or two more pieces of yet-to-be-decided legislation.
He says the $2 million "is not a whole lot of money," and he considers labor's lobbying push "a down payment" on a broader economic populist message that he hopes to see take effect after the 100 hours are up.
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