[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 55 (Thursday, April 25, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H3825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  LET US PASS A MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE

  (Mr. VOLKMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, the radical right of the Republicans is at 
it again. Although the vast majority of the American citizens, the 
majority of the Members of this House, the majority of the Members of 
the other body, and the President of the United States all say we 
should have an increase in the minimum wage. Well, imperial Speaker 
Gingrich and the Presidential nominee of the Republican Party, Bob 
Dole, say, ``No, we are not even going to let you vote on it.'' The 
minimum wage is presently at a 40-year low as far as buying power. They 
will not even let us have a vote on it. That is the radical right of 
the Republican Party.
  I say let the House vote on a minimum wage. Let us vote on it now. 
Let the other body vote on a minimum wage. Let us vote on it now. What 
are you afraid of? You are afraid of giving the working poor a little 
more money for their work. That is what you are afraid of. You do not 
want to do that. You want to give the wealthy a big tax cut. You say 
that is who needs the money. I say let us pass a minimum wage.

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