[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]




                 FAT LADY HAS NOT SUNG ON MINIMUM WAGE

  (Mr. WYNN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WYNN. Mr. Speaker, as they say in sports, ``It ain't over till 
it's over.'' ``It ain't over till the fat lady sings.''
  Bipartisan majorities in both Houses have passed the minimum wage 
increase which would help 11.8 million Americans, 40 percent of whom 
are sole breadwinners and 58 percent of whom are women. But it ain't 
over. Because special interests and Newt Gingrich and the Republican 
leadership are already in the back room working out delays.
  They do not want to appoint a conference committee to move this bill 
to the President's desk despite the fact that 80 percent of the 
American public, American taxpayers, want an increase in the minimum 
wage. They are saying if we do not get our special interest provision 
in the health care bill, you cannot have minimum wage.
  That is the way it goes around here now, and it is flat-out wrong. 
The people deserve better. The people deserve minimum wage increases 
and a clean health care bill.
  Would somebody give the fat lady a sheet of music? We need to pass 
this legislation. We do not need to knuckle under to special interests.

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