David Obey: “Mr. Chairman, there are now more than 8 million people out of work in this country; 3 million have been out of work for…”

“Mr. Chairman, there are now more than 8 million people out of work in this country; 3 million have been out of work for so long they have exhausted their unemployment compensation benefits. We have more than 1.5 million fewer private sector jobs than we had 4 years ago, and the administration's response to that has been to impose new regulations allowing employers to chisel workers on overtime protection, despite the fact that cost of living has risen twice as much this year as last year, despite the fact that gas prices, college tuition, and health care costs are going through the roof. I had planned at this point to offer an amendment with the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) which would block most of the sections of that new rule with one exception: We would have allowed the changes to go forward that improve the situation for workers that make between $8,000 and $23,000 a year. But now I have been told that if I intend to offer that amendment tonight, the majority will shut down the House for the evening.”