[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17926]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      HOUSE DEMOCRATS ARE MAKING PROGRESS FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

  (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, for 6 months, Democrats have succeeded in 
changing the direction of this country. We have replaced Republican 
rubber stamps with meaningful Congressional oversight.
  The Democratic House has now passed 50 key measures since January, 
most with strong bipartisan support. Thanks to this Democratic 
Congress, millions of Americans will receive their first pay raise in 
almost a decade on January 24. As a senior member of the House 
Education and Labor Committee, I was proud to support the long overdue 
increase in the minimum wage.
  Gulf coast hurricane communities will get much needed relief, up-
armored Humvees and critical military support are getting to our 
troops, and fiscal responsibility has been restored to the Federal 
budget after the White House and Republican-led Congress reversed 
President Clinton's budget surplus and replaced it with the biggest 
budget deficit in American history.
  This is only the beginning. This House has also passed legislation 
that will better protect our Nation by fully implementing the 
recommendations of the nonpartisan 9/11 Commission. Let's continue to 
move forward in this positive direction.

                          ____________________