[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 19763]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    IT'S TIME THE DO-NOTHING CONGRESS ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING FOR THE 
                            AMERICAN PEOPLE

  (Mr. CLEAVER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, when I landed here in 
Washington, I received a phone call almost immediately from my brother-
in-law in St. Louis who said somewhat jokingly, ``I sure hope you will 
do something for America this week.'' And all I could think about was, 
``I do, too.'' Because, unfortunately, we are not doing much for 
America.
  We should not leave this town this week without passing legislation 
to implement the 9/11 Commission's recommendations so we can make our 
Nation safer. Congress shouldn't leave without raising the minimum wage 
for 6.6 million Americans who haven't seen a raise in 9 years. We 
shouldn't leave without rolling back the $12 billion in tax breaks that 
were showered on big oil companies last year.
  The history books are not going to be kind to this Congress. With a 
25 percent approval rating, it seems to me that one way to raise it 
would be to do something.

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