Thad Cochran
Senator of the United States
Introduction:
Pro's and Con's of the Keystone Pipeline
Con's
- Building the Keystone pipeline and opening up the Tar Sands will negatively impact national and local economies- The same fossil fuel interests pushing the Keystone pipeline have been cutting, not creating, jobs
- Unemployment will rise
- Poor and working people will be disproportionately affected
- Building the sustainable economy, not the Keystone pipeline, will create far more jobs
Pro's
- Create more jobs for people in poverty
- Help the minority class build up
- People will be spending more money
Raising Minimum Wage Pro's and Con's
- Studies show graduated increases in the minimum wage have low impact on unemployment.
- Government expenses for social programs aimed at the poor would be reduced. This might result in slightly lower taxes for other Americans
- Slightly more revenue for the government would be generated from payroll taxes for social security
- Additional income would be spent by consumers and would ripple through the economy if overall budgets for salary were increased under a gradual increase in the minimum wage scenario.
- An increase in the minimum wage raises the standard of living for impoverished workers. The minimum wage hasn't kept up with inflation consequently the pay of many workers, particularly those with families of 3 or more people, are now well below the poverty level.
Con's
- Possible Layoffs to workers at employers with a fixed compensation budget.
- Employers might hire fewer workers in the entry level jobs needed to begin a career.
- Provides an incentive for employers to invest in automated processes, technology and machinery to increase productivity rather than human resources.
- Prices might be increased to offset higher labor costs.
- For small companies, already stressed owner/operators might take on more responsibility.
- Wages for higher paid workers might be suppressed, and salary increases might be lower for those not impacted by a higher minimum wage.
About Thad Cochran
Thad Cochran was born December 7, 1937, in Pontotoc, Mississippi. He is the son of William Holmes Cochran and Emma Grace Cochran, who were educators in Pontotoc, Tippah, and Hinds Counties
In 1955, Cochran enrolled in the school of liberal arts at the University of Mississippi.
He earned a B.A. degree with a major in psychology and a minor in political science. He was elected president of his social fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, was a company commander in the Navy ROTC, student body vice president, and was selected for membership in Omicron Delta Kappa, a national honorary leadership fraternity. During the summers, he worked as a life guard at Livingston Lake in Jackson.
When he graduated from Ole Miss in 1959, Cochran was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve and assigned to duty aboard the USS MACON, a heavy cruiser homeported in Boston, Massachusetts. He served on this ship for 18 months becoming the ship’s legal officer after graduating as an honor student from the U.S. Navy School of Justice in Newport, Rhode Island. He also became qualified as Officer of the Deck, in port and underway.
After graduating from law school, Cochran joined the firm of Watkins & Eager in Jackson, one of the state’s most respected law firms. He was made a partner in the firm in only two and a half years.
Cochran served as president of the Jackson Men’s Y Club, as a member of the board of the Jackson Rotary Club, and a member of the Board of Mississippi Opera, Inc. He organized the first Mississippi chapter of the American Field Service and served as charter president to sponsor foreign exchange programs for high school students.
Thad's Issues
- Roe let government decide which life deserves protection. (Feb 2011)
- Voted YES on banning federal health coverage that includes abortion. (May 2011)
- Voted NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Jan 2007)
- Voted NO on allowing human embryonic stem cell research. (May 2005)
- Voted YES on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions. (Apr 2005)
- Voted YES on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime. (Feb 2004)
- Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life. (Oct 2003)
- Voted YES on forbidding human cloning for reproduction & medical research. (Feb 2003)
- Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)
- Rated 100% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-life stance. (Dec 2006)
- Prohibit transporting minors across state lines for abortion. (Jan 2008)
- Bar funding for abortion under federal Obamacare plans. (Jul 2010)
- Ban abortions for sex selection or race selection. (Dec 2011)
- Prohibit federal funding for abortion. (May 2011)
- Prohibiting forced abortions by UN Population Fund. (May 2011)
- Supports the Pro-life Presidential Leadership Pledge. (Jan 2012)
- Grant the pre-born equal protection under 14th Amendment. (Jan 2007)
- Declare preborn as persons under 14th amendment. (Feb 2009)
- Voted YES on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending. (Jul 2009)
- Voted YES on modifying bankruptcy rules to avoid mortgage foreclosures. (May 2009)
- Voted NO on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package. (Feb 2009)
- Voted NO on $60B stimulus package for jobs, infrastructure, & energy. (Sep 2008)
- Voted YES on paying down federal debt by rating programs' effectiveness. (Mar 2007)
- Voted YES on $40B in reduced federal overall spending. (Dec 2005)
- Voted YES on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts. (Apr 2000)
- Voted YES on 1998 GOP budget. (May 1997)
- Voted YES on Balanced-budget constitutional amendment. (Mar 1997)
- Voted YES on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases. (Apr 2011)
- Voted YES on protecting middle-income taxpayers from a national energy tax. (Apr 2009)
- Voted YES on requiring full Senate debate and vote on cap-and-trade. (Apr 2009)
- Voted NO on tax incentives for energy production and conservation. (Jun 2008)
- Voted NO on addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China. (May 2008)
- Voted NO on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jun 2007)
- Voted NO on making oil-producing and exporting cartels illegal. (Jun 2007)
- Voted NO on factoring global warming into federal project planning. (May 2007)
- Voted NO on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR. (Nov 2005)
- Voted NO on $3.1B for emergency oil assistance for hurricane-hit areas. (Oct 2005)
- Voted NO on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%). (Jun 2005)
- Voted NO on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (Mar 2005)
- Voted YES on Bush Administration Energy Policy. (Jul 2003)
- Voted NO on targeting 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010. (Jun 2003)
- Voted NO on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill. (Mar 2003)
- Voted YES on drilling ANWR on national security grounds. (Apr 2002)
- Voted YES on terminating CAFE standards within 15 months. (Mar 2002)
- Voted YES on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling. (Apr 2000)
- Voted NO on ending discussion of CAFE fuel efficiency standards. (Sep 1999)
- Voted YES on defunding renewable and solar energy. (Jun 1999)
- Voted YES on approving a nuclear waste repository. (Apr 1997)
- Voted NO on do not require ethanol in gasoline. (Aug 1994)
- Rated 0% by the CAF, indicating opposition to energy independence. (Dec 2006)
- Sign on to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. (Jan 2007)
- Open the Outer Continental Shelf for oil & gas leasing. (Jun 2008)
- Establish energy security strategy with domestic production. (Jul 2008)
- Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025. (Jan 2007)
Thad and the Keystone Pipeline
Cochran and Wicker are among 53 Senators who signed a letter to President Obama that outlines reasons the energy project should be advanced following the approval of the proposed pipeline route through Nebraska. The pipeline from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast was thrown into limbo last January when the President halted the permit process.
“This pipeline project will entail greater energy security, job creation and economic activity for our nation and it should finally be allowed to move forward. The project has already been delayed far too long,” Cochran said.