[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 19, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       LABOR AND THE LABOR FORCE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 19, 2001

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank 
Representative Bonior for organizing a special order on labor and the 
labor force in our country. Rather than wait until the first Monday in 
September, I, too, appreciate the role of labor and organized in our 
economy.
  In my District, which is largely the Mississippi Delta, I've 
witnessed the transition from agriculture to gaming. Ten years ago, 
there were no casinos in the State of Mississippi. Today, more than 
twenty-two casinos operate in my Congressional District. The Second 
District of Mississippi is one of the more rural areas in the country. 
While we grow cotton and soybeans and farm-raise 85% of the nation's 
catfish, we can sometimes lose sight of the men and women who make it 
all possible.
  When we adjourn in the House, most times you can find me headed to 
Mississippi. When I get home, I hear all the concerns of hard-working 
folk who just want to make a better way of life for their families. No, 
they don't complain about how they can't contribute as much as they 
want to a campaign or how the estate tax is threatening to take away 
their farm. My constituents just want to be treated fairly and thought 
of as men and women.
  Time after time, we see corporate executives pitted against common 
folk who want to know that they are not being mistreated. Just like all 
of us here in the Congress, our workforce wants to enjoy life. There's 
nothing wrong with paying hard-working people a decent wage. There's 
nothing wrong with providing a safe working environment. There's 
nothing wrong with environmental standards. There's nothing wrong with 
health insurance for the working poor--folks who are too rich for 
Medicaid but too poor for the HMO's. There's nothing wrong with forming 
credit unions and providing other benefits to assist our workforce, 
many of whom are turned away by traditional lending institutions. Mr. 
Speaker, these comforts are taken for granted by some here in the 
Congress.
  In closing, I ask ``What's wrong with an honest day's pay for an 
honest day's work?'' As we carry out our duties in this House, let us 
not forget the men and women who have made our economy what it is.

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