[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 101 (Wednesday, July 10, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H7164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REPUBLICAN-LED CONGRESS OF INACTION

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, when I spoke on the floor I was 
encouraged by the fact that the Senate was finally taking up the 
minimum wage hike; and I was hopeful that a crippling amendment that 
would have delayed implementation for 6 months and exempted many small 
businesses so that half the people on minimum wage would not benefit 
from the hike would not pass. Fortunately, that amendment did not pass; 
and so now I am hoping that somehow we are going to get this minimum 
wage to the President's desk.
  But what we have found out today is that the Republican leadership in 
the Senate as well as in the House continues to want delay. They do not 
want the minimum wage to pass. They are saying they are not going to 
appoint conferees, and they will only appoint conferees to work out the 
differences on the minimum wage bill if the health care reform bill 
also moves.
  What we are seeing again is an effort by the Republican leadership to 
stop the minimum wage hike just like they are trying to stop health 
insurance reform. They are going to let this drag on between now and 
November so that this Congress once again will be the Congress of 
inaction. Nothing happens here. It is not happening because the 
Republican leadership does not want it to happen.

                          ____________________