David Obey: “Mr. Chairman, we used to have a Member of this body by the name of Jimmy Burke, and Jimmy Burke said once to the…”

“Mr. Chairman, we used to have a Member of this body by the name of Jimmy Burke, and Jimmy Burke said once to the freshman class incoming, he said, oh, I understand your problem; you think this place is on the level. Well, I want to tell you that does not matter what you do on this amendment. This amendment ain't on the level. This amendment is consumer fraud masquerading as legislation, and it ain't going to do nothing to nobody and let me tell you why. If you look at the language carefully, the language purports to send the message that what we are doing is, oh, oh, look at the muscles. We are telling those Frenchies and those German companies, you cannot participate; but if you look at the actual language, the language allows those companies to get around this limitation by doing the same thing that corporate expatriates have done in this country by simply setting up a mailing address in Bermuda or any other offshore place. So it is what I call a holy picture amendment. The politicians pause for holy pictures, boy, we really did something. But you have got language that does not do nothing to nobody.”