[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 102 (Thursday, July 11, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H7267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SENATE SHOULD FREE THE MINIMUM WAGE

  (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is day 2 and the Republican Senate 
continues to hold the minimum wage hostage. The Republicans are 
demanding that Medical Savings Accounts be added to health care reform 
as ransom for its release. MSA's--the Republican payoff to special 
interests and big donor insurance companies. The same MSA's that 
Consumers Union has called a time bomb * * * that will make health 
insurance less accessible and less affordable for many Americans.
  Over 80 percent of the American people support a minimum wage 
increase. Today's LA Times editorial page says:

       An increase in the minimum wage is long overdue. What is 
     clearly resolved in the minds of most Americans . . . is that 
     they want to see work encouraged and appropriately 
     compensated.

  But the Republicans would rather hold this legislation hostage to 
special interests.
  I say enough is enough. For the sake of hard-working American 
families across this country--the Republicans in the Senate must give 
up their unreasonable demands and free the minimum wage.

                          ____________________