Progress Illinois

Although Senate Republicans blocked the bill shortly thereafter, a bailout for the festering auto industry actually passed the U.S. House by a 237-170 margin last Tuesday, mostly along party lines. Illinois’ entire Democratic Caucus supported the measure (with the exceptions of Rahm Emanuel and Luis Gutierrez, who didn’t vote). Thirty-two Republicans, including Reps. Don Manzullo (16th) and Ray LaHood (18th), sided with the White House and congressional Democrats as well. Most that crossed the aisle hail from auto-heavy districts.

Illinois GOP Reps. Peter Roskam, Mark Kirk, Jerry Weller, Judy Biggert, Tim Johnson, and John Shimkus all opposed the bailout. In fact, Kirk, Biggert, and the retiring Weller all voted against auto industry assistance despite supporting the $700 billion financial services industry bailout.

Biggert and Weller have not released statements about their votes, but from the beginning of the negotiation process, Kirk’s loyalties were quite clear. While he scolded the auto executives’ poor planning and sky-high salaries, the criticism seemed hollow, considering that the Wall Street bill never effectively limited CEO pay. (Robert Kuttner has more on the differences in congressional reponse between the two bailouts.) But in the days leading up to the vote, the North Shore Republican made several media appearances in which he blamed the industry’s struggles on the contracts negotiated by the United Auto Workers (UAW). It’s an accusation without merit, but it served as the ostensible justification for his vote, which could jeopardize thousands of Illinois jobs.

Senate Republicans circulated a memo Wednesday night calling on legislators to “stand firm and take their first shot against organized labor.” That’s just what Kirk and his House colleagues did, and it could lead to some intense economic hardship.

(H/T CF)