[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 67 (Thursday, May 13, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H2924]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CONGRESS SHOULD PASS 5 MEANINGFUL INITIATIVES FOR AMERICA

  (Mr. OWENS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, working families continue to suffer under the 
oppressive policies of the Republican-controlled White House and 
Congress. With a new low in cynicism, Republicans have made a mockery 
of the suffering of the jobless.
  The Republican unit of dirty tricks, deceitful slogans, and tricky 
titles has launched a new HOW initiative; Hire Our Workers, they call 
it. But Republicans refuse to support any of the actions that will 
relieve the suffering of working families.
  Instead of bombarding the Nation with new rope-a-dope slogans, 
Republicans should just do the right thing and support five basic 
actions: extend Federal unemployment benefits; end the current tax 
incentives for shipping jobs overseas; raise the minimum wage from 
$5.15 an hour to at least $7 an hour; enact a robust highway bill to 
create 1.8 million good-paying jobs; and invest more resources in key 
education and job training programs.
  Stop swindling the poor with words. Pass these five initiatives 
without further delay.

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