Obama's "Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order"

Paco Fabian, spokesperson for the Good Jobs Nation campaign:

"Based on what we have heard from the Administration, President Obama has issued a far-reaching executive order that places federal contractors on notice. They can no longer break the law without facing consequences. This is yet another step the President is taking to guarantee that taxpayer dollars are spent on creating good jobs, and not keep workers in poverty. Of course, the devil is in the details. As the biggest purchaser of goods and services in our economy, how the government decides to implement this rule with ultimately decide whether it has a positive effect on the lives of workers and on our economy."

From a statement by National Employment Law Project (NELP) Executive Director Christine Owens:

"The Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order that President Obama signed today is good for workers, good for law-abiding employers, and good for America's taxpayers. Requiring companies to disclose their recent compliance with labor and employment laws and allowing agencies to consider those records in the bid process will better ensure that companies receiving taxpayer-funded contracts actually satisfy our nation's basic wage and workplace standards."

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown:

"The U.S. government should never use taxpayer dollars to hire contractors with a history of labor violations," Brown said. "If a company wants to be considered for federal contracts, it should disclose prior labor violations. And when the government considers potential contractors, it must emphasize integrity and a history of protecting worker rights. I applaud the President's executive order which will stand up for workers and taxpayers by rewarding only contractors that do the same."

Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress:

"Safe workplaces and fair pay should not be luxuries for America's workforce. Yet today, far too many companies with long track records of violating workplace laws are continuing to receive federal contracts with no strings attached. By demanding that companies clean up their acts and comply with labor laws before they are awarded federal contracts, President Obama is taking a momentous step toward protecting the millions of Americans employed by firms that contract with our government."

Joe Geevarghese, Change to Win's deputy director, (from this MSNBC story):

"Once again, the President is leading by example. Establishing the principle that if you are breaking the law, you don't get to do business with the biggest employer in the country -- the federal government," said Joe Geevarghese, Change to Win's deputy director. "Just like the executive order raising the minimum wage had a ripple effect across the economy, we hope that this bold step by the President sends a clear signal to the private sector that you need to do right by your workers."

In the same MSNBC story a Chamber of Congress spokesman jokingly suggested the administration should leave it up to (Republicans in) Congress to act on these matters:

"Congress has already enacted numerous laws covering employment in the workplace," said Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President Randy Johnson in a statement to MSNBC regarding the expected action from the president. "These laws are enforced by a variety of agencies with expertise in enforcing those laws, which are interpreted through thousands of pages of regulations and court decisions. If the president wants to add the penalty of debarment from federal contracts to be determined by procurement officials without expertise in those laws, he needs to go to Congress and get the proper authority."

"Go to Congress and get the proper authority." Right. Because they are job creators.