[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10979-10980]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            DEMOCRATS FIGHTING TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITY TO ALL

  (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, the American people 
want Congress to focus on their priorities, and that is exactly what 
the House Democrats are doing. We are fighting to expand opportunity to 
all Americans, not just a privileged few.
  At a time when the average college student graduates with more than 
$17,000 in debt, Democrats want to expand the opportunities available 
to them by cutting the interest rates on their college loans, not 
increasing them, like the Republicans are doing.
  At a time when wages remain stagnant for most Americans, Democrats 
continue to fight to raise the minimum wage because we want a fair and 
working wage. By increasing the minimum wage, we would not only expand 
opportunity for 7 million workers, but we would also increase wages for 
middle-class workers who have not seen a substantial pay raise in over 
5 years.

[[Page 10980]]

  At a time when high-paying jobs are going overseas, Democrats have an 
innovation agenda for science, engineering, information technology.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time that this House really got to work.

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