[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17925]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        HOUSE DEMOCRATS MAKING PROGRESS FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

  (Mr. McNERNEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McNERNEY. Madam Speaker, since I've been here in Washington, in 
January, this Congress, under strong Democratic leadership, is making 
progress on the American people's priorities, despite intense 
opposition on many issues.
  In spite of this opposition, Democrats have succeeded by increasing 
pay for 13 million workers, raising the minimum wage for the first time 
in a decade, by providing overdue assistance to the gulf region hit 
hard by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, by protecting our troops, 
investing in military readiness, including armed vehicles and 
equipment, and by increasing the transparency and accountability with 
strengthened ethics and lobbying rules.
  We also continue moving legislation that has already passed here in 
the House but is making its way through the system, including fully 
implementing the 9/11 Commission recommendations, putting 50,000 more 
police officers on our streets, and by providing the largest increase 
in veterans health care funding in the Veterans Administration's 77-
year history.
  Madam Speaker, this new Democratic Congress has begun moving our 
Nation in a new direction to address the needs of all Americans.

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