[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 177 (Monday, December 15, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2556]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2673, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2004

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                               speech of

                         HON. CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 8, 2003

  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my disappointment 
that the omnibus appropriations package before us, H.R. 2673, does not 
include provisions passed by both houses of Congress to protect 
workers' overtime pay, nor does it extend the Temporary Extended 
Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program.
  Mr. Speaker, here we are again, the holiday season is upon us and 
once more, it is time to buy presents for our loved ones. Whether we 
are celebrating Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa or simply the holiday 
season, it is a time for sharing gifts, festive meals and caring for 
others. Unfortunately, the appropriations package before us will strip 
workers of their overtime rights and does not extend TEUC benefits, 
possibly resulting in Santa Claus not making stops at everyone's house 
next year.
  Millions of families continue to struggle through the rough fringes 
of our economy. Currently the official U.S. unemployment rate is at 5.9 
percent, representing more than 8.5 million unemployed workers, and the 
rate for Hispanics has moved up to 7.4 percent. As much as these can be 
seen as mere figures, we must realize that they are more than just 
numbers. They represent human beings: someone who needs work and whose 
family may need food and clothing. These are not luxuries; they are the 
essentials.
  Too many Americans are going to wake up New Year's morning to find 
out that their unemployment insurance has run dry. In the past 2 years, 
we've seen some 3 million jobs disappear.
  Mr. Speaker, we had an opportunity to extend the reauthorization of 
the TEUC program and we failed to do it.
  I joined the efforts to extend those benefits so that working 
families still looking for jobs can enter the New Year with some peace 
of mind. The leadership in this House, however, saw it differently and 
blocked our efforts to extend help to out-of-work Americans. They 
reportedly said the economy's doing so much better that unemployed 
workers don't need any extra help. Sadly, this failure not only hurts 
families but also the economy. Worse yet, it comes just a few weeks 
after these same leaders approved a $12 billion handout to insurance 
companies.
  That's not all. Even those who are fortunate to have jobs have come 
under attack by the leadership of this House. On March 31, 2003, the 
Bush administration proposed changes to the overtime pay rules that 
require additional pay for workers who put in more than 40 hours per 
week. These changes will impact up to 8 million employees who could 
find themselves working longer without any additional pay.
  Once again, Mr. Speaker, we had an opportunity to include provisions 
in this massive appropriations package to ensure that the rights of 
over 8 million workers to receive overtime for their hard work were 
protected, and we failed.
  The new rules will impact workers who make between $22,101 and 
$65,000 per year. These middle class workers, from journalists to 
medical technicians, often rely on the extra money they get from 
overtime and appreciate there being some limit on the time they are 
expected to work.
  Congress voted to stop this change in labor policy, though the vote 
was particularly close. Despite this action from Congress, the Bush 
administration has continued to push for the changes. The President 
even issued a veto threat against this massive appropriations bill if 
it included any attempt to maintain the overtime protections for these 
workers and their families.
  As we enter the holiday season, it's sad that there's so little 
compassion for Americans struggling to find jobs and make ends meet. 
Clearly, the battle for America's working families is not over.

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