James Traficant: “I rise to indict both parties for subsidizing China and Japan, Mexico, and Canada with another continuing record trade…”

“I rise to indict both parties for subsidizing China and Japan, Mexico, and Canada with another continuing record trade deficit. Japan is over 60 million; China is approaching 40. And the analysts say in 5 years China will surpass Japan. Anyway, I do not know, I do not think anybody is listening, but there is an old saying, God loves poor people. They say God must love poor people, he made so many poor people, and there are so many working poor people. They deserve a minimum wage increase. I support the rule. I support the bill. I want to commend Mr. Moakley and Mr. Solomon, great job they have done over the years. Mr. Quinn fought hard from the Republican side. I want to commend him. I just want to remind Members, between 1991 and 1993, 13 million Americans lost their jobs. As I speak today, 36 percent are still unemployed; 18 percent took pay cuts less than 50 percent of what they previously made; 10 percent are working for 75 percent less pay than they mad 5 years ago. If you do your math, 60 percent of those 13 million people, 7.8 million people are worse off today than they were 5 years ago. So, yes, I support a minimum wage increase. But my colleagues, a minimum wage job is still the bottom rung of the ladder. If we do not resolve our trade deficits, we will not balance our budget deficits.”