Iowa’s largest labor union, AFSCME Iowa Council 61, announced its endorsement of Representative Bruce Braley for U.S. Senate yesterday. A press release from the Braley campaign noted that two other labor unions have previously announced their support: Iowa State Council of Machinists and the Great Plains Laborers’ District Council. As a member of Congress, Braley has a strong voting record on labor rights, as does retiring Senator Tom Harkin.
Endorsements this early in the cycle are another sign that Braley will not face real competition for the Democratic nomination next year. During Iowa Democrats’ last hard-fought statewide primary, the larger labor unions endorsed either Mike Blouin or Chet Culver for governor only a few months before the 2006 primary.
UPDATE: The non-profit, non-partisan advocacy group Council for a Livable World endorsed Braley for Senate on March 14. I’ve added their press release and some background after the jump.
SECOND UPDATE: Service Employees International Union Iowa – Local 199 endorsed Braley for Senate on March 15. A press release from the campaign comments, “SEIU Local 199 represents over 5,000 nurses, school employees, childcare workers, and county employees across the state of Iowa.”
COUNCIL FOR A LIVABLE WORLD ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENT OF BRUCE BRALEY
Des Moines, IA/Washington DC – March 14, 2013 – News Release – Council for a Livable World’s Board of Directors has announced their endorsement of Rep. Bruce Braley for Iowa’s open Senate seat.
“Rep. Braley has spent his career in the House working to assist Iowa and America’s servicemen and women,” said Ira Lechner, chairman of Council for a Livable World’s Board of Director. “He has an unwavering commitment to America’s men and women in uniform and a proactive approach to international relations that enhances national security.”
“The Council for a Livable has spent more than fifty years working to re-focus Congressional attention on our conventional fighting forces while tirelessly working to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons and terrorism.” said Rep. Braley. “The Council has extensively contributed to enhancing American national security and I am excited to have their endorsement for my Senate run.”
“Rep. Braley’s record in the House shows he is a strong supporter of arms control, funding the United Nations and responsibly ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Guy Stevens, Council for a Livable World’s PeacePAC Director. “Rep. Braley is a proven advocate for national security and American troops. He also has continuously rejected wasting federal dollars on ineffective, expensive and out-dated weapons systems in favor of supporting programs that equip our armed forces to address 21st century security threats.”
The endorsement of the Council’s Board of Directors cited Rep. Braley’s efforts to secure GI Bill education benefits for 600 Iowa National Guard soldiers who were denied these benefits after returning from service in Iraq. The Board also cited his efforts to secure Respite Leave Benefits for more than 700 Iowa National Guard soldier that were denied their benefits. Legislation Rep. Braley introduced resulted in thousands of National Guard troops permanently securing access to their Respite Leave benefits.
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Council for a Livable World is a non-partisan advocacy organization dedicated to increasing national security, particularly through reducing of the danger of nuclear weapons proliferation. The Council advocates for a strong and sensible national security policy and helps elect congressional candidates supporting those ideals.
Braley has been the most outspoken member of the Iowa delegation on bringing U.S. troops home from Afghanistan (see also here). In December 2011, he voted against a defense authorization bill because it increased “Tricare (healthcare) fees for military personnel, veterans, and their families” and “included wasteful spending with few cost constraints on several unnecessary Pentagon programs that have already overrun cost projections by billions of dollars.”
During the last Congress, Braley served on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. He made his work for veterans a major theme of his 2012 re-election campaign. In the current Congress, Braley serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, an “exclusive committee” whose members are generally not allowed to sit on other committees. Braley applied for but did not receive a waiver to continue serving on the Veterans Affairs Committee as well.