Roland Gutierrez: “I do not mean to harangue the distinguished major leader. However, I heard Mr. Armey say that he would fight an increase…”

“I do not mean to harangue the distinguished major leader. However, I heard Mr. Armey say that he would fight an increase in the minimum wage with ``every fiber in his body.'' Well, I want him also to consider the fibers on his body: the fibers that make up his shirt, his suit, his socks, his tie. If his clothes were made here in USA, then I would bet that some of those fibers were sewn together--by workers earning the minimum wage. As public servants, we should be willing to give our constituents the shirts off our back. Instead, in Mr. Armey's world, we take the shirts that they make for us, put them on our backs, and then tell them that they are not even worth the $4.25 an hour that they got making that shirt. Mr. Armey may be the majority leader in this House, but he does not speak for the majority of Americans, most of whom want us to honor our workers with a decent, liable wage. We have all heard the story of the ``Emperor who had no clothes.'' Well, if it were not for minimum wage employees, we would hear the story--the true story--of the majority leader who had no clothes. Let us keep that in mind as we debate the minimum wage.”