James Traficant: “I think everybody is going to object to this amendment. This is one of 13 bills that will ultimately become law. Many of…”

“I think everybody is going to object to this amendment. This is one of 13 bills that will ultimately become law. Many of the things the Republicans have in the bill are not going to be in this final bill. There will be precedents set in this bill and there should be an opportunity to carve out opportunity in this bill. This amendment is the exact amendment that I passed to H.R. 3846, March 9 of this year. It passed 246-179. What is the shell game? Is it tied up in politics with the tax cut and now it is tied up with legislating on an appropriations bill? The Traficant amendment simply says there shall be an increase in the minimum wage, $1 over 2 years. The original language was $1 over 3 years. The House has already spoken its will on this. It has not been signed into law, and it is being tied up with the tax cut. But it should not be tied up in a measure like this. I want to compliment the gentleman. He is one of the first chairmen to bring a bill out because these bills are folded into continuing resolutions because both parties are playing politics with it and it is an election. I want a minimum wage increase. Tell me how else we can get it, and I would be glad to support it. But if the labor appropriations bill is not the place for a minimum wage increase, God save America. Let me say this. The appropriators should have done this. The appropriators should have done this. I am disappointed the Democrat Party did not bang away on this issue.”