Gordon Smith Earns "D" Grade on Middle Class Issues

Casts Deciding Vote Against Buy American Act

In a report card issued by the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy today, Gordon Smith earned a "D" grade when it comes to voting for the interests of middle-class Americans.

The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy is a non-partisan, non-profit think tank that generates ideas that strengthen the middle class.

In fact, Gordon Smith cast the deciding vote against the middle class by voting for an amendment to encourage outsourcing by exempting the Department of Defense from the Buy American Act in 2003. The final vote in the U.S. Senate was 50-48. [Senate vote #191, 5/21/03] By voting against the amendment, Smith could have prevented family-wage jobs from being sent overseas.

The problem of outsourced jobs surfaced in the news recently when the U.S. Air Force awarded a contract for a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract to a European plane maker instead of Boeing, costing Oregon 225 jobs and $8 million. [Sen. Patty Murray, http://murray.senate.gov/tankers/KC-767-EconomicImpact.pdf]

"There is no amount of extra credit can make up for the dismal job Gordon Smith has done on behalf of the middle-class and working families of Oregon," said House Speaker Jeff Merkley. "It is a myth that Gordon Smith cares about middle-class issues. Oregon can't afford a senator who continually votes to outsource jobs, give tax breaks to the wealthy, and prevent a fair minimum wage. It's time to change the way things are done in Washington."

Posted March 12, 2008
Press