[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 4, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H3279-H3280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CONGRESS FORMULATES THE UNEQUAL WORKERS POLICY

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe that in 
America we would formulate the unequal workers policy. That is what 
this House, the Republicans, are beginning to do.

[[Page H3280]]

  Just this week the Washington Post reports that Congress plans to 
revisit minimum wage requirements for recipients in public service 
jobs. Can my colleagues believe it? We argued vigorously on the floor 
that people should take responsibility for themselves, they should go 
to work, get off welfare. And yet we want to pay those individuals who 
get off welfare less than a minimum wage.
  There is not an American in America who disagrees that for work, good 
work, equal work, equal pay, minimum wage. The Lutheran Services in 
America organization spends $2.8 billion serving 2 million needy people 
in over 3,000 locations. They know what poverty is all about. They know 
what serving the poor is all about. And they want them to be paid 
minimum wage.
  They also know the dignity of being a human being, someone who has 
pulled themselves up by the boot straps, a welfare mother transitioning 
from welfare to work. And then we want to denigrate and deny her 
humanity and pay her below the minimum wage. What a disgrace.
  Congress, get in the real world and pay the minimum wage for all 
working Americans.

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