Walker Testifies to House on Union Bill

Politico reports:

Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker testified before a House committee Thursday that his efforts to curb union power in his state is “progressive.”

Walker told Rep. Darrell Issa’s (R-Calif.) House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that his “bold political move” to take on the collective bargaining agreements of public workers in his state “is a very modest request of our employees, ” according to a copy of his prepared remarks.

“Most workers outside of government would love our proposal, ” Walker said of his plan, which requires public employees to contribute roughly 6 percent of their salary to their pension plan and nearly 13 percent of the annual cost of their health insurance premiums. The move, he said, will “protect middle class jobs and middle class taxpayers.”

After Walker gave his remarks, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the top Democrat on the committee, sent out a release pointing out that Wisconsin workers were willing to make pay and benefit concessions. The dispute was over collective bargaining rights.

Union members are flooding Capitol Hill to protest Walker’s testimony. Walker said he wonders why protesters aren’t flooding the streets of Washington to oppose federal workers’ union contracts.