Mark Pocan

I also tend to think that maintaining safe workplaces and protecting workers' voices are worth that cost.

All these rules and regulations referenced today have one thing in common, they help hard working middle class Americans by ensuring workers are afforded the dignity under the law that they unquestionably deserve.

The congressional leadership strategy is simple, although it is not necessarily obvious if you are not paying close attention, shut down the appropriations process, bog down Congress, and stuff an end of the year package with gifts for…

I think we have had a very Washington conversation aimed at a very Washington audience.

It is interesting. One of the things a person mentioned is, you know, people who make $174,000 a year trying to tell them they are making too much at $11.50 an hour after 23 years of being in that profession.

I know everyone says it is a new day here in Congress. Sometimes I feel like it is Groundhog Day.

I would like to thank the gentleman not only for yielding, but for his and Chairman Kline's hard work on this bill. I rise today in support of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Defending public education is one of the reasons that I came to…

I hope they are hearing you, and I hope they are hearing us, because my concern is that if these are not addressed...

I have to admit that it stuck in my craw that someone was saying, 'go to this website.'

We want to know that various inputs are heard.

I do not think, like some, this is going to bring financial ruin for the entire population of the planet.

I rise for a few of the things we have not heard on the other side of the aisle. I have heard a lot about sovereignty, but we have asked explicitly about other areas, one being OSHA. We have asked explicitly about ERISA. We have asked…

I thank Ranking Member Scott. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose H.R. 511. One of the most important things we can do in this body is help the middle class to have every opportunity for their family. While the economy has been rebounding…

I am really glad to be here today with the Progressive Caucus Special Order hour, and I would like to thank the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman) for all her hard work on behalf of the Progressive Caucus and on behalf of…

It takes us a long time to make those changes. So most of our standards are really dramatically out of date and workers are paying the price.

When one of them is killed, there is no investigation. Nothing happens.

The value of human life seemed so low in that case.

The maximum penalty for a serious violation is $7,000, and we always discount it for small employers and for history and good faith.

The fewer inspections we do, the more injuries are going to occur and the more costs are going to go up.

If I understand it, you have sufficient resources right now to inspect each jobsite once every 140 years on average.

I just want to again thank Representative Bishop for all your work on this--thank you very much--and Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Scott. This is, I think, a good example of how we can work together in a committee to make sure that…

People who want to go around the law are the problem.

I myself am a small-business owner, last 28 years.

I agree with much of what the gentleman has said. The only problem is, as much as we have had some problems in the VA--and we need to take actions, and we are, including in Wisconsin where we have had an action that, in a bipartisan way…

On behalf of myself and the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), my colleague, I rise today to offer an amendment to prevent a spike in the copays that veterans pay for prescription drugs as a result of this misguided bill. Every year…