John Kline: “We have pages and pages of examples. Let me just give another one so that my colleagues and the workers of America…”

“We have pages and pages of examples. Let me just give another one so that my colleagues and the workers of America understand that we are talking about misbehavior, illegal behavior on the part of people who have the responsibility for taking care of their union dues. November 7, 2006, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Timothy J. Pulvermacher, former financial secretary for USWA Local 9444 pled guilty to embezzling union funds. January 8, 2007, Kathryn Stark, former office manager for IBEW Local 31 was sentenced to a 6-month confinement. Why? Because they are abusing their union members. They are stealing from them. And this is the only office that has the responsibility and authority for holding them accountable. So we can debate for all day, I suppose, who is for the worker and who is not for the worker and whether the tax cuts are good for the worker. We certainly believe they are on this side of the aisle. But that is not what my amendment is about. My amendment is about making sure that the office who has the responsibility for holding union leaders accountable for their workers' funds has the staff it needs to do the job. The base bill, cutting $2 million would force that office to cut staff members, the very people who conduct the investigations and bring these people to justice. Again, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this amendment which supports the union workers of America and holds those who misbehave accountable.”