Trent Lott: “if I may respond to that, I want to make sure we have an opportunity to consider those small business men and women who…”

“if I may respond to that, I want to make sure we have an opportunity to consider those small business men and women who create the bulk of the entry-level jobs in America, to make sure they do not wind up having to go out of business or, even worse, they don't hire the entry-level people who do deserve a basic minimum wage. What I have been trying to do is to find the quickest and cleanest way, which is also not out of the ordinary, to separate these bills and go on to conference and get a result that would be the best way to help all concerned, both those who will be negatively impacted if we don't go forward with bankruptcy reform and those who are looking for a minimum wage increase, and those small business men and women who provide so many jobs in America. I understand if we don't do it this way, there is the further complicating factor that the bankruptcy bill will have to basically be started over again.”