[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 63 (Wednesday, May 8, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S4813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The able majority leader, Senator Dole, is 
recognized.


                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, the time between now and 10 o'clock will be 
equally divided prior to a cloture vote at 10 a.m. on H.R. 2937, the 
White House Travel Office legislation. If cloture is not invoked at 10 
o'clock, it may be possible to consider any of the following items: Gas 
tax legislation, taxpayer bill of rights, minimum wage legislation, and 
TEAM Act. We hope to have some resolution of these matters today.
  I again say it is rather ironic that we are prepared to accept the 
minimum wage proposal offered by my colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle. We are prepared to repeal the gas tax that my colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle would like to repeal, the Clinton gas tax which was 
not for highways or bridges or roads, but for deficit reduction, and 
was part of the larger $268 billion tax increase in 1993, the largest 
tax increase in the history of the world, let alone America. We do not 
understand why our colleagues, who I think want to do those things, 
would be holding it up because of one little amendment we offered 
called the TEAM Act, which simply says employees can talk to employers.
  This is America. But of course the labor bosses, who put $35 million, 
just lately, into the pot on the other side of the aisle, said we do 
not like that. So when the labor bosses speak, our colleagues on the 
other side say yes--yes, sir.
  So if we are going to let the labor bosses dictate repeal of the gas 
tax, the increase in the minimum wage because they dislike one 
provision that simply says that employees can talk to employers, then I 
think it is a rather sad state of affairs. We hope to debate that at 
length today, because I believe the American people, once they 
understand this issue, will be on the right side.
  If some employee has a good idea on productivity or whatever it may 
be, why can that employee not talk to management? Because since 1992 
the NLRB says you cannot do that. We are simply trying to change the 
law. We think it is good policy. We think it makes a lot of good, 
common sense. We believe it improves the working relationship in the 
workplace. For all the reasons I can think of, we hope to be able to 
persuade our colleagues on the other side that this is a package that 
should pass this Senate by 100 to 0.
  Perhaps they are waiting for the liberal media to put their spin on 
it, but it is pretty hard to even put--they do not have a spin. Even 
the liberal media, who wait for the Democrats' spin and then print it 
almost verbatim on a daily basis around here, find it very difficult. 
Because we are going to accept their package on minimum wage, our 
package on gas tax repeal. Then we had TEAM Act and we are ready to 
vote, after an hour debate on each side. We have even provide they can 
have a separate vote on minimum wage and a separate vote on TEAM Act.

  Some may not want to vote for the minimum wage increase so we provide 
for that. Some may not want to vote for TEAM Act, so we provide for 
that. So we have gone not only the extra mile, but miles and miles 
beyond.
  We hope there could be some resolution of this today. If not, we will 
take our case to the American people and we will continue the debate 
throughout today and tomorrow and Friday. Hopefully, sooner or later, 
our colleagues will recognize this is a very fair and very reasonable 
proposal we have made and it should have unanimous support in the 
Senate.
  Mr. GRAMS addressed the Chair.

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