Democrats turn to Web to conduct 'e-hearing' (concerns about pensions)

[BigBearJohn]

Several House Democrats, frustrated with House rules that allow only the majority party to convene hearings, yesterday said they would hold their own online hearing to draw attention to their concerns about retiree pension plans at bankrupt United Airlines.

Billed as the House of Representatives’ first “e-hearing,” the event is being conducted by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).

During the course of this week, Miller will solicit testimony from United Airlines employees and retirees from a page on the committee’s website, edworkforce.house.gov/democrats/unitedhearing.html, which already sports an opening statement from Miller and prepared testimony from two union officials and an academic. The committee’s Democratic staff will then write a report on the testimony, which will be included in the Congressional Record, said Miller spokesman Tom Kiley. The online hearing will lack the traditional question-and-answer session that characterizes regular hearings.

Miller resorted to the online approach after having repeatedly asked the committee’s chairman, Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), for hearings on pension issues, Kiley said.


Full Story:
http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/052505/democrats.html

[Rainscents]

1. When can I hear this on internet?

[sadiesworld]

2. Very cool.

:thumbsup:

[BigBearJohn]

3. My sister's a retired United Airline employee. She love hearing this.

[Demit]

4. YES! What a great idea! I'm glad somebody's thinking outa the box

[sarcasmo]

5. Wait until this happens to GM don't think people won't wake up and take

Notice.

[Blue Belle]

6. No kidding...

They're staring right down the barrel of bankruptcy too.

[BigBearJohn]

7. .

[markus]

8. Kick! This is exactlyl what I was referring to in my response to Will Pitt

This is a perfect opportunity to expose the Social Security "reform" scheme of the Bush Administration for what it is: a giant pension fund raid by the upper brackets of taxpayers.