[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 135 (Saturday, November 20, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11793-S11794]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




THE 108TH CONGRESS AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT WORKING FAMILIES

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, as the 108th Congress draws to a close, 
it is time to reflect on a number of opportunities to support working 
families that this Congress missed.
  American workers are the backbone of our economy. They have built 
this country, brick by brick and industry by industry. Too many of them 
have seen their factories closed and their jobs shipped overseas due to 
bad tax policy and dismal trade agreements. As the Senate meets today, 
families around our country are struggling to make ends meet in a 
sluggish economy. This Congress has missed opportunity after 
opportunity to support these families.
  As consumer and health care prices continue to rise and families must 
make difficult decisions about what to buy and what to go without, the 
108th Congress will adjourn without even considering an increase in the 
Federal minimum wage. Congress last voted to increase the minimum wage 
8 years ago, to the current level of $5.15. The Congressional Research 
Service notes that the Federal minimum wage would have had to have been 
raised to $8.49 in February of this year to equal the purchasing power 
that it had in February of 1968. Increases in the minimum wage have not 
kept up with inflation or with rising consumer prices, and workers 
earning minimum wage are struggling to make ends meet, often working 
two or more jobs. And many of these jobs do not provide basic benefits 
such as health insurance and paid sick leave. To that end, I am proud 
to be a cosponsor of legislation introduced by the Senator from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy) that would require certain employers to 
provide paid sick leave benefits, and I look forward to continuing to 
support this and other legislation to support working families when the 
109th Congress convenes next year.
  This Congress did little to help workers who are scraping by and who, 
too often, have to choose between their jobs and their families. And 
for those laid-off workers who have been unable to find family-
supporting employment in these tough economic times, this Congress has 
done even less.
  For the second year in a row, Members of Congress will go home for 
the holidays without acting on legislation to extend the Temporary 
Extended Unemployment Compensation Program. Many unemployed workers who 
are actively seeking employment have simply been unable to find jobs, 
and are relying on unemployment benefits and related programs to 
support themselves and their families. I regret that, despite the 
support of a bipartisan majority in the Senate for extending these 
important benefits, a minority of members have used Senate budget rules 
to block passage of this important extension. And I am stunned that, 
despite bipartisan support for extending these important benefits in 
both the Senate and the House, Congress will adjourn for the year 
without sending an extension to the President.
  In addition, this Congress has built upon the regrettable record of 
the 107th Congress with respect to undermining basic worker 
protections. Members of the House and of the Senate have gone on record 
a total of six times in opposition to the Bush administration's 
overtime rule. This rule, which will rob millions of hard-working 
Americans of the overtime pay that they deserve, went into effect on 
August 23, despite bipartisan opposition in Congress. And for the third 
time, the administration has saved this ill-conceived rule by issuing a 
veto threat against legislation containing a provision to block that 
rule. I commend the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Harkin) for his leadership 
on this issue, and I will continue to support efforts to roll back the 
harmful provisions of this rule.

[[Page S11794]]

  This Congress also missed a number of opportunities to ensure that 
good-paying jobs stay in this country. The bill that was recently 
enacted in response to a World Trade Organization ruling against the 
foreign sales corporation and extraterritorial income provisions in our 
tax code presented Congress with an opportunity to restructure our tax 
code in a way that supports domestic manufacturers and their employees. 
Sadly, while the measure did provide some help to domestic 
manufacturers, the bill that was signed into law missed this 
opportunity in many respects. Congress should act at the next 
opportunity to close down the tax provisions in this law that actually 
provide incentives for corporations to move facilities overseas.

  I was also disappointed that the final Omnibus bill that the Senate 
is expected to take up soon did not include provisions approved by the 
Senate responding to the disturbing trend of the outsourcing of 
American jobs. These provisions would have prohibited Federal funding 
from being used to support the outsourcing of goods and services 
contracts that are entered into by the Federal Government, or by the 
States if those contracts are being supported by Federal dollars. With 
this bill, Congress could have supported American workers by ensuring 
that taxpayer money is not used to encourage companies to relocate 
American jobs. Because of the deletion of this outsourcing provision, 
we missed an opportunity for the Federal Government to set a strong 
example of buying its goods and services from American companies that 
use American workers.
  All told, the 108th Congress provided little support, and too much 
harm, to working families, and the examples that I have cited are just 
the tip of the iceberg of missed opportunities in this area. Congress 
can and should do more to ensure that workers and their families have a 
decent standard of living, including access to affordable health care, 
child care, and housing. We should also do more to strengthen job 
training and education, including expanding access to higher education.
  I fervently hope that the 109th Congress will reject the antiworker 
tone of the past two Congresses and will make every effort to support 
the working men and women and their families who we have been elected 
to represent. I intend to continue to work hard to ensure that their 
voices are heard here in the Senate.

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