[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 7 (Friday, January 12, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                TUNAGATE

  (Mr. McHENRY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, there is something fishy going on here. The 
Washington Times reported yesterday that ``the Democrats' minimum wage 
legislation exempts American Samoa, a Pacific island territory, that 
would be the only U.S. territory not subject to the Federal minimum 
wage.''
  The article goes on to say: ``The loophole pleases StarKist Tuna, one 
of the two packaging plants that employ over 5,000 Samoans, or nearly 
75 percent of the island's workforce.
  ``StarKist's parent company, Del Monte, is headquartered in San 
Francisco.''
  Now, after these press reports came out, the Democrats want to 
include American Samoa in this legislation, 2 days after it passed this 
House. Why? Because the American public found out about this special 
interest scheme.
  This is a clear abuse of power for a hometown company. Indeed, Mr. 
Speaker, Madam Speaker, indeed, this is an abuse of power, and there is 
something definitely fishy going on here.

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