Political Quotes

“we cannot pick up a newspaper, turn on the radio or television without seeing the names and faces of celebrities caught using sweatshop labor to produce their signature line of goods. Last month it was Kathie Lee Gifford; then it was Michael Jordan; and next week, it will be someone else. The fact of the matter is, sweatshops are a very serious problem throughout the United States. As sweatshops have spread like wildfire, Congress has turned a blind eye and ignored this problem. This has caused millions of workers and American businesses to suffer. My amendment takes the first step to rectify this national disgrace, by restoring funds to the Department of Labor to fight sweatshops, across this country. It provides $5 million to the Wage and Hour Division, to specifically fight sweatshop violations in the garment industry. To pay for this, we would transfer $5 million from the Jobs Training Partnership Act, that was funded at $25 million over its fiscal year 1996 level. Both of these efforts serve to help disadvantaged workers. We must provide these professionals, who are on the front lines of this battle, a fighting chance. In recent years, the Wage and Hour Division has seen its budget slashed, while the number of sweatshops have skyrocketed. From New York to Los Angeles, all across this country, millions are being exploited by unscrupulous employers.”