Mark Pocan: “Whether it be the fact that we have discharge petitions now on rasing the minimum wage, so that people can be lifted out…”

“Whether it be the fact that we have discharge petitions now on rasing the minimum wage, so that people can be lifted out of poverty who are working hard every single day, playing by the rules, and just trying to get by; by extending unemployment benefits to the millions of people in the country who have lost those extended benefits--including a gentleman from Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, who was my guest right here in this Chamber for the State of the Union. He was my guest. He had lost his benefits at the end of December. He was a steamfitter, worked hard all of his life, played by the rules, and because of not extending the emergency benefits, they are in dire financial straits. His wife wrote me an email. This is how we found out about them. Their daughter wanted to bring a friend over for dinner, and they said: I don't know if we can afford another plate at the table. They have their home up for sale because they don't want to be foreclosed on. This is the reality of Congress not acting. Today, we now have a discharge petition on immigration reform, something that will effect millions and millions of people across this country. This Congress is not acting. What we are going to talk about in just a little bit are 5 bills that effect fracking--fracturing--to make sure that everyone can have cleaner air, cleaner water and that people can actually know what toxins are going in the ground when so many people live so close to these wells across the country.…”