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Labor Department trying to avoid November surprise?

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  • Description

    Tells defense firms not to send pink slips

  • Duration 3:50
  • Date

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Part of the solution to last year's budget standoff lawmakers have to agree.

-- further cuts this summer automatic cuts take place one of the big department that's going to be cut is defense so with no deal in sight.

Defense contractors are warning they may send advance layoff notices to their employees which would arrive just days before the November election.

Prompting the Labor Department to -- Congress and chair of the house armed services committee and he's my guest this morning good morning to -- And -- all right so.

The way in which this mandate means the -- warn act requires.

Most employees with 100 or more workers to give sixty days notice of plant closings or mass layoffs labor cutbacks affecting 500 or more workers.

So it sounds pretty clear that sequestration would.

This would come into play right.

It will.

The what what people need to understand this we have cut as as you said heavy.

Heavily in the Defense Department.

-- for the cuts we have voted so far and in the last year to save -- -- deficit have come out of defense which.

And Defense Department only accounts for about 70% of the saving.

Of the defense spending of the of the national spending.

And on top of that kicking in next January -- sequestration which are automatic cuts across the board.

Another 5600 billion out of defense.

It's right so that was the poison pill when this super committee could not come up with a resolution for our national deficit.

And that was my way in which ten people but the members of congress would come to sponsored resolution because they wouldn't want that poison pill but they didn't not a Labor Department.

In a weight do you think it's political that they do not want these pink slips to go out on November 2 or third right before the election.

You know we've been waiting for some kind of guidance for months from the administration.

And it's the -- we haven't been able to get it from all and be with them -- able to get it from does the Defense Department.

And yesterday.

A day before the Labor Department kicks in and says don't send out those notices those notices are required by law.

Right hand and then it and here we've got a department of the federal government saying don't send them out.

Right here's part of that statement they said to employs a federal contractors including in the defense industry.

Is not required sixty days in advance of January 2 2013 and would be inappropriate.

Given the lack of certainty about how to budget cuts will be implemented and the possibility that the sequester.

We'll be avoided before January so let me ask you this congressman.

Will the -- be avoid it.

What can congress do and more importantly what can the president do to stop this.

The house has already acted we passed a bill that pays for the first year of sequestration.

Which would move the debate back.

Out of a politically.

Charged atmosphere of the election.

The senate has an -- -- the president hasn't provided leadership he is the commander in chief it's it's.

Inconceivable to me that the commander in chief the one that should have the most interest of the defense of this nation at heart.

Has not provided any leadership he could call Harry Reid.

Today and Harry would get a vote in the senate and then we could do what the constitution says and each body can.

That has passed a bill comes together and -- -- conference committee and resolves the differences and sends it to the president to sign we can take care of it.

-- -- But the president is a wall on this issue is just stop providing any leadership.

Okay well thank you so much for the explanation it's all up to the senate right now and possibly the president's putting a little pressure on Harry Reid.

Congressman -- in there and California thanks for your time bright and early this morning.

Think you.

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