Phil English

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, in the debate on whether to continue normal trade relations with China, the opponents of trade have failed fundamentally to answer one question: What will ending our engagement with China accomplish? It will not improve human rights or political rights on the mainland. It will not benefit American security interests in Asia or stabilize the Pacific rim. It certainly will not improve trade opportunities for American companies and American workers in the world's largest and fastest growing market. Our severing of normal trade relations with China would be the greatest windfall that we would have bestowed on our European competitors since the Marshall plan. American companies would likely lose their favored position in the Chinese market permanently. So what would ending normal trade relations with China achieve? For one thing it would devastate our longtime trading partners in Hong Kong at a sensitive time when they are returning to Chinese sovereignty but seeking to retain their autonomy. Ending MFN would undermine Hong Kong's economy and potentially their liberties as well. Mr. Speaker, the best way for America to influence Chinese society is to pursue a policy of constructive and comprehensive engagement with China utilizing our economic role to leverage reforms that benefit individuals on the mainland. In this way we can stimulate market activity and growth on the mainland which has proven subversive of totalitarian bureaucracies worldwide. Oppose this resolution.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Pennsylvania Sheriff's Association on its 75th anniversary. For 75 years, this association and the sheriffs of Pennsylvania have worked together to improve the office of sheriff so as to better serve the public. Under the dynamic leadership of Butler County sheriff, Dennis Rickard, the association has continued providing a forum for the sheriffs to exchange ideas and experience and provide training and education programs for sheriffs and their deputies. It has done this to ensure that every sheriff has the skills and knowledge to perform his or her duties in a professional, responsible, and efficient manner. We all know the law and legal procedures have become infinitely more complicated than they were 75 years ago. The increase in volume of work has also imposed more burdens on Pennsylvania's sheriffs. The association has helped our sheriffs shoulder these burdens in a manner that has reflected well on Pennsylvania. Because of this, I want to congratulate the Pennsylvania Sheriff's Association on its 75th anniversary and commend it and Pennsylvania's sheriffs, for a job well done.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 118, final passage of H.R. 3. I was unavoidably detained in my office and was unable to appear to cast my vote prior to the close of the rollcall. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the distinguished Member from Indiana for yielding this time to me, and I would also like to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox] for authoring this resolution of which I am a cosponsor. Mr. Speaker, this resolution puts Congress on record ratifying a key component of last week's historic budget accord. What we propose to do is put Congress on record in favor of leaving the annual cost of living adjustments and changes in CPI to the experts, not bringing those changes into the political arena. We are putting the House on record as opposing politicizing the technical process of measuring inflation, and we are opposing injecting arbitrary budget-driven changes into the process of calculating the Consumer Price Index. This resolution puts Congress on record, maintaining the integrity of this key statistical measure. In our view, any change in CPI should be done only after extensive study because we recognize the effect of a statutory adjustment. As some have proposed in the past, a statutory adjustment in the CPI would cut retirees' incomes, raise taxes, but at the same time create a huge budget windfall, which would make it so much easier for us in this Chamber to avoid making difficult decisions. We have to recognize that getting to a balanced budget will be a difficult process. It will require tough decisions and real choices. There is no easy fix. There is no shortcut. Mr. Chairman, I strongly urge the House to join us in supporting this resolution.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained during the rollcall vote on H.R. 867, the Adoption Promotion Act of 1997. If I had been present, it was my intention to vote ``aye'' because I strongly support the legislation. I ask that my statement appear in the Record after the vote.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Joint Resolution 58. As one of the 10 original cosponsors of this bill, I want to commend the distinguished gentleman from Florida for his leadership in sending this important message that the status quo on the war on drugs is not good enough. The deadly tide of illegal narcotics, much of which flows to the United States through our southern border, should be a top national health and security priority. What other external threat has such a direct impact on our communities, our streets, and our children every day? The President's decision on February 28 that Mexico had fully cooperated with the United States in the battle against illegal narcotics sends the wrong message at the wrong time. Mexico sadly has simply failed to make the progress in joining us in the war on drugs that we had every right to expect. Our message today is that this is totally unacceptable. Much of the violence on our streets of our cities is related to the torrent of illegal narcotics flooding into our country. This is a matter of life and death for many of our citizens. As the gentleman from Georgia earlier noted, the President felt it was important to send a message to Colombia again this year by decertifying them and withholding assistance. If this was a good drug policy, then I believe it is critical to make clear to Mexico that our assistance to them is conditioned on strong bilateral cooperation and domestic action. To do otherwise is to hold out a double standard, which is not in the long-term best interests of the citizens of Mexico or the citizens of the United States. In my view this resolution finds the appropriate balance between an honest assessment of Mexico's performance in drug interdiction efforts and continued support for those in Mexico committed to arresting, prosecuting, and convicting drug traffickers. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join in support of this important resolution. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support for House Joint Resolution 58, Disapproving the Certification of the President Regarding Foreign Assistance to Mexico. As one of 10 original cosponsors of this bill, I want to commend the distinguished gentleman from Florida for his leadership in sending this important message that the status quo in the war on drugs is not good enough. The deadly tide of illegal narcotics, much of which flows to the United States through our southern border, should be a top national and security priority. What other external threat has such a direct impact on our communities, streets, and children each day? The President's decision on February 28, that Mexico had fully cooperated with the United States in the battle against illegal narcotics sends the wrong message at the wrong time. Mexico, sadly, has simply failed to make the progress in joining us in the war on drugs that we had every right to expect. Our message today is that this is unacceptable. Much of the violence blighting the streets of our cities is related to the torrent of illegal narcotics flooding our country. This is a matter of life and death for many of our citizens. As the gentleman from Georgia noted, the President felt it was important to send a message to Colombia again this year by decertifying them and withholding assistance. If this is good drug policy, then I believe it is critical to make clear to Mexico that our assistance is conditioned on strong bilateral cooperation and their vigorous domestic action. To do otherwise is to hold out a double standard which is not in the long-term best interests of the citizens of Mexico or the citizens of the United States. This resolution finds the appropriate balance between an honest assessment of Mexico's performance in drug interdiction efforts and continued support for those in Mexico committed to arresting, prosecuting, and convicting drug traffickers. Thomas Constantine, Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, told a congressional committee on February 25: Historically corruption has been a central problem in DEA's relationship with Mexican counterparts. In short, there is not one single law enforcement institution in Mexico with whom DEA has an entirely trusting relationship. We should not make a mockery of the annual certification process by turning a blind eye to the shortcomings of Mexican efforts. Mexico's criminal cartels are now our No. 1 threat when it comes to drugs; 70 percent of the cocaine that enters the United States comes from the southwest border and we even see this poison in my district on the U.S. northern border. Increasingly we are seeing larger levels of methamphetamine, marijuana, and heroin moving across our border. Last year, Mexico's drug cartels shipped approximately 300 tons of cocaine, 150 tons of methamphetamine and 15 tons of heroin to the United States. Moreover, the Mexican Government has refused to let the 20 new DEA agents Congress appropriated money for to enter Mexico, and barred U.S. law enforcement agents from carrying weapons. This is inexcusable and vitiates any argument about full cooperation and partnership. Omniously, illegal drug use has been on the rise in recent years among our young people in America. It is clear that the wrong response to this tragic increase is to be satisfied with where we are. While as some have argued here we need to work harder in our communities to limit the demand for narcotics which kill dreams and kids, we should not be telling our children that the status quo is adequate, when it is not. We should not be telling Mexico and the predatory drug cartels which operate in Mexico, that our Nation is apathetic to outcomes. We are no longer satisfied with an annual public relations gesture; the time has come to condition assistance on results not promises. This resolution does just that and has my wholehearted support. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, oppose the Clinton administration's ill conceived policy of expediency, and send a message that Congress won't tolerate the Mexican drug trade any longer.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, too often we forget here in Washington that a pyramid rests on its broad base, not its pinnacle. In like manner, our political system rests not on Congressmen but on those who devote their time to local government: a lot of headaches and little pay. Ed Lenz was a solid man, a good man, one of those foundation stones of America's democratic system. He shouldered the burden of public service without complaint, and served his family, his community, and his God. Would that we all have the same spirit of public service that Ed did. Ed passed away after a lifetime of service. He was a Korean war veteran, serving in a too often ignored war in the Army. He then studied electrical engineering, and worked for General Electric in locomotive testing for 27 years. Ed was a husband and a father, and was always there for his family and community. That is why he was a Republican committeeman, a member of the Wesleyville Planning Commission, and a Wesleyville councilman. Wesleyville is going to miss Ed. In these days of cheap celebrity, I mention Ed because he was a good man, and I think such men should be remembered.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing legislation to both correct existing law as well as practices in the administration of those laws that have proven to be quite burdensome and inefficient. Currently, a 12-percent excise tax is imposed on heavy trucks, trailers, and tractors. The tax is on trucks weighing over 33,000 pounds, trailers weighing over 26,000 pounds, and all tractors used with a trailer or semitrailer for highway transportation. The IRS has crafted a registration, certification, and reporting regime that imposes a heavy paperwork burden and awkward procedures for proving compliance. Complex regulations and rulings issued over many years have added to the compliance burden. I am introducing legislation today to remedy the most serious administrative difficulties brought to my attention with the following four proposed changes: First, to clearly delineate taxable tractor sales and to eliminate uncertainty regarding when there is a tax on an incomplete chassis, my bill would make the tax apply only to tractors with a gross vehicle weight in excess of 33,000 pounds. Second, similarly, to provide certainty regarding when an article is subject to tax, my bill codifies the clear and unequivocal test put in place by the IRS in Revenue Rule 91-27 which imposes the tax on the restoration of a worn or used truck, tractor, or trailer only where the cost of such restoration work exceeds 75 percent of the price of a comparable new vehicle. My bill expands this sensible test to cover the restoration of wrecked vehicles as well as changes or modifications of a truck's function such as the conversion of a tractor to a straight truck, the lengthening or shortening of a frame, or the addition or subtraction of axles. Third, to foster greater uniformity in the application of the tax and to provide a more precise measurement of the reduction in tax that should occur for tires that are part of a taxable sale and which have been previously taxed, my bill provides an offset to the truck excise tax equal to the tax already paid on such tires. Correspondingly, the bill eliminates the deduction now allowed for the fair market value of tires in determining the taxable amount of a retail truck sale. Fourth, heavy truck dealers must register with the IRS and furnish exemption certificates for vehicles purchased for resale. A dealer who makes a sale for a resale must produce a valid exemption certificate obtained in connection with sales for resale. A dealer can be required to pay on an exempt sale where the IRS, long after the transaction has been completed, determines that verification of the claimed exemption is inadequate and there is no proof the tax was collected from the first retail user. Even though some sales have obviously been for resale, slavish application of the statute and regulations have nevertheless resulted in the collection of such taxes. My bill would make it easier to more systematically obtain and retain the required certifications by permitting invoices used in transferring taxable vehicles to include a certification that the transfer is a sale for resale. Resellers would affirm under penalties of perjury, that there was no obligation to collect the Federal excise tax. The same penalties imposed under current law for fraudulent claims of exemption would remain in force. Because it has proven to be of minimal compliance value, my bill would also eliminate the cumbersome registration system now required for heavy truck dealers and other resellers.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 470. In my view, it is imperative that the Department of Education actively enforce compliance of the Campus Crime and Security Awareness Act, an important tool in ensuring our young people's safety at colleges and universities. Students should be worrying about exams and term papers, not their personal safety on campus. Unfortunately, what we have seen as a general trend is that campus crime has been on the rise. It is imperative that students, faculty, and parents are aware of the number of crimes reported on campus within the prior year. This is important life-saving information. The 101st Congress enacted into law the Campus Crime and Security Awareness Act as part of the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act. This legislation requires that any school receiving title IV funding report to any faculty, student, and perspective students that request it a yearly number of crimes reported. Schools are required to report in a timely fashion to the campus community on those crimes which could pose a threat to other students or faculty. This offers students, the institutions and the campus community an opportunity to exchange information and take precautions to prevent future crimes. The Department of Education, in my view, should take an active role in monitoring compliance of the Campus Security Act to ensure that colleges and universities do everything possible to make campuses a safe and secure learning environment. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this important resolution.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3863, the Student Debt Reduction Act. Access to a college education for young Americans regardless of background is key to the American dream, but the cost of higher education is making it harder for many middle-class families to pay for tuition, and many students end up saddled with a debt burden that limits ultimately their choices. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this important legislation introduced by the chairman of the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities which, in effect, will allow lenders to waive or reduce the origination fee on unsubsidized Stafford loans by paying the fee for a student. Lenders are already permitted to pay the origination fees charged to a student who obtains a subsidized Stafford loan. This legislation simply extends the same consideration to those borrowers of unsubsidized loans. As a result of this legislation, students will find themselves with more money for educational costs. With the cost of college education on the rise, that money can be put to good use. The savings to an individual student may be as much as the full origination fee of 3 percent of the loan amount. Students will be able to use their student loans for what they were intended, to pay for a college education. This legislation encourages competition by loan providers to the great benefit of students who are able to reduce their education financing costs. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this important legislation. It provides Congress with an opportunity to give students the best possible financial aid packages by encouraging competition between lenders of unsubsidized and subsidized Stafford loans.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by joining my colleagues in complimenting the distinguished chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, who in my view has done a superb job of bringing to the floor a balanced conference report that not only addresses the needs of minimum wage workers, but also the needs of small business. I particularly want to acknowledge his role in addressing a pension provision which is included in this package which addresses an inequity in the law that would have otherwise destroyed 1,100 jobs, including 150 jobs in Erie, PA, at Erie Forge & Steel, and I salute him for doing that. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in support of this conference report that will increase the minimum wage for the first time in 5 years and at the same time provide significant tax relief to America's small businesses. This is a balanced approach, and this legislation is long overdue. I remember last year when I was the first member of my party to introduce minimum wage legislation in the House. Since then, I joined some of my colleagues and ultimately supported the Riggs-Quinn-English- Martini amendment that increased the minimum wage and included it in this package of legislation. I am proud to see and very pleased to see that it has earned massive, bipartisan support. In my congressional district in northwestern Pennsylvania, I have seen far too many families supported by one or more members working in minimum wage jobs. These hard-working people could very easily surrender to the welfare system, but they do not. Instead of taking tax money, they pay it, and I think they deserve more. At the same time, I know of many small business people who are struggling to get by, who are struggling to grow their businesses, and they are finding it difficult because of the Tax Code. This legislation provides incentives for them to grow jobs, to create more jobs and at the same time bring part of the bounty back to minimum wage workers. Mr. Speaker, this legislation, as has been noted before, includes important expensing liberalization in the Tax Code. It includes a home office deduction, subchapter S reforms and much-needed pension simplification. In addition, it extends some critical expiring tax provisions, including the work opportunity tax credit and employer- provided educational assistance. In my view, Mr. Speaker, this is a balanced package that merits the support of every Member of this House. I am happy to endorse it. It is a great day for American workers and American small businesses.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this rule and in strong support of this conference report, the most sweeping welfare reform legislation this country has seen since the Great Society. As Franklin Delano Roosevelt warned in the late 1930's, giving permanent aid to anyone destroys them. By creating an underclass culture of poverty, dependency, and violence, we have been destroying the very people we have been claiming to help. How many more families will be trapped in the current welfare system while we waste time in Washington? I am delighted to see that the President has indicated he may support this conference report, which will require for the first time ever able-bodied welfare recipients to work for their benefits. Every family receiving welfare must work within 2 years or lose benefits, and lifetime benefits are limited to 5 years. This is a balanced, mainstream approach that links welfare rights to personal responsible behavior. I urge the House to adopt this rule and lay the groundwork for passage of this conference report.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, every year, for the past 5 years, a local company based in the 21st District of Pennsylvania, Armstrong Cable, has sponsored the Senior Classic Golf Tournament which has raised funds to help the people of the Meadville, PA, area. The tournament itself and the auction of autographed gold memorabilia has raised over $50,000 for charity. On August 8, the classic will tee off again. The tournament demonstrates the good that individuals, businesses, and our communities can do when they join together to help those less fortunate than themselves. This year the tournament, at Oakland Beach Golf Course in Conneaut Lake, will benefit Habitat for Humanity, the READ Program, CASA--a child's advocate court program, the Meadville Public Library, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Scholarship Fund, and Meadville Community Theater. Armstrong is also supporting renovation of the community's historic Academy Theater. I applaud Armstrong Cable Services for continuing the deep community involvement of its predecessor, Meadville Master Antenna, and I commend all of the individuals who will make this charitable function succeed. Joan Kocan, of Armstrong Cable Services, has tirelessly worked to host the tournament and to draft many generous corporate sponsors. She and the other Armstrong workers deserve our gratitude for volunteering during the entire function. I hope my colleagues will join me in wishing success to the Armstrong Cable Senior Classic.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Madam Chairman, today we will vote on fundamental welfare reform legislation, a mainstream proposal that working families across the Nation have been demanding for years. Three decades and $5 trillion ago, this Nation declared war on poverty. What was the outcome? All we have to show are casualties. Children killing children, boys and girls growing up without fathers, and welfare recipients spending an average of 13 years out of work because work does not pay as well as Uncle Sam. Madam Chairman, generations have been trapped in this soul-destroying system, prisoners of the lost war on poverty. I have to ask this House: How many more of our children must we lose to poverty and violence before we say, enough is enough? We have the opportunity today to change America by fixing the failed welfare state and restoring the American dream for an abandoned underclass. Under this bill, welfare will be converted into a work program. Every person receiving welfare must work within 2 years or cash benefits will end. Under our bill, lifetime welfare benefits will be limited to 5 years but up to 20 percent of families can be exempted for hardship. States are required to have 50 percent of welfare families working by 2002. Our bill will end welfare payments for noncitizens; those we welcome to our country as guests should not abuse the hospitality of hard- working Americans. American families are spending $8 billion every year on welfare for noncitizens. That is not fair. Our bill will stop the destructive practice of giving Social Security cash benefits to drug addicts and alcoholics, blighting their lives at great public expense. Madam Chairman, we in Washington need to learn from past mistakes. We must create a welfare system that ties welfare rights to responsible behavior. I urge all of my colleagues to put aside petty partisan politics. Support this bill and allow this Congress to leave an enduring legacy of social reform.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this is a proclamation to acknowledge Mr. Allen C. ``Pete'' Ogden as president of the Western Pennsylvania State Association of Township Commissioners. In addition to his civic accomplishments, Mr. Ogden is a retired business manager from Iroquois School District where he also taught mathematics. He is a devoted family man and has been married to Pat for 40 years. Together they have three grown children--Pam, Paula, and Peter--as well as three grandchildren--Jennifer, Nicole, and Matthew. He has been a Lawrence Park Township commissioner for the last 15 years and 7 of those years he has served as president of the board. Despite the demands of being a part-time commissioner on a full-time basis, Mr. Ogden also manages to be vice president of Northwest Planning, an executive board member of the East Erie Communications Center, delegate to the Erie Area Council of Governments, the Watershed Plan Advisory Board, the Allegheny League of Municipalities, the Erie County Association of Township Officials, as well as a member of the Erie County Library Committee, the Erie Eye Bank Association, the Runner's Club, and the Lions Club. Please join me in recognizing Mr. Ogden as State president and thank him for his many years of dedicated public service.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this resolution of disapproval of normal trade relations for China. In my view, we need to renew China's MFN status as part of a long-term commitment to the United States-China relationship. China is the world's largest and fastest growing market, experiencing exponential growth as its rulers slowly reverse generations of statist economic policies. If we fail to renew MFN for China, it will uncouple our economy from this fast growing trading partner, it will place U.S. companies at a competitive disadvantage with other international firms, and it will cost American workers jobs. Mr. Speaker, I do not condone China's human rights abuses. I do not condone China's military adventurism and aggressive behavior in its region or its poor record on nuclear proliferation. I do not condone China's failure to enforce intellectual property rights or its unfair trading practices. But, Mr. Speaker, the advocates of this resolution have made no credible argument that ending normal trade relations with China will lead to reforms in any of these areas. Instead, trade with China by America is an essential catalyst to move China toward greater economic freedom and a liberalization of their economy and their institutions. Mr. Speaker, I believe the best way for America to influence Chinese society is to pursue a policy of constructive and comprehensive engagement.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. I appreciate receiving those assurances from the distinguished chairman of the committee.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I would like to engage in a colloquy with the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania, the chairman of the Committee on Science. Mr. Chairman, I am greatly concerned that the replacement of the Erie Weather Service Office at Erie, PA, with radar service from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo would increase weather-related accidents on Pennsylvania's north coastal region. Reports issued by both the General Accounting Office and the National Research Council support this conclusion by identifying radar coverage gaps and other shortcomings with the new nationwide NEXRAD coverage system. After the terrible consequences of unforeseen tornadoes in 1985 that devastated a number of communities in our region and the ever-present danger of unpredictable lake-effect weather on Lake Erie, the communities of northwest Pennsylvania in my view must have weather service they can depend upon.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Riggs-Quinn-English- Martini amendment to raise the minimum wage. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring this debate out of the realm of the abstract and frame it in human terms. In my congressional district in western Pennsylvania, I have seen far too many families supported by one or more members working at minimum wage jobs. These hardworking folks could easily surrender and join the welfare system, but they do not. Instead of taking tax money, they pay it. We have single mothers who support their kids on a minimum wage job. Some of my district's seniors add a little extra by taking minimum wage jobs. These are not just jobs for teenagers and college kids. Four million Americans work for the minimum wage, and 40 percent of them are their family's only wage earner. That is a lot of hardworking people who need a raise. The problem facing all of these people is that the minimum wage now buys less, far less than it has at any time in the past 40 years. That means less gas, less groceries, and less rent. It is only fair that at this time we consider a raise. Remember, if the minimum wage is at a 40-year low in buying power, it is at a historic low as a business expense. The reasonable wage increase we offer here today is designed to have a minimal impact on businesses and jobs, and a maximum impact on the working poor. To our critics, I ask them why they think a reasonable minimum wage hike will cost jobs. We have seen no ill effects in those 15 States that have already raised their minimum wage rates. Pennsylvania's neighbor, New Jersey, appears to have suffered no ill effects in the fast food industry when it raised the minimum wage. To those who still believe we should not raise the minimum wage, I say it is our fundamental responsibility. Remember several things. The minimum wage provides vital minimum protection for workers, especially those who lack union membership or who have little negotiating strength. Congress serves as the ultimate bargaining representative for those workers. Let us also look, not only does increasing the minimum wage benefit the employed, it also makes work more attractive to the unemployed, encouraging the transition from welfare to work. This is one of three keys to welfare reform. Let us raise the minimum wage, and in doing so we will guarantee that many on the margins of our economy will have an opportunity through hard work to share in our great bounty.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, let me say I come to this Congress as a strong supporter of the restriction on unfunded mandates, and I come to this Congress as a former finance officer. I am strongly opposed to this point of order because I think it stretches that rule beyond recognition. That rule was never intended to freeze in perpetuity our current minimum wage. If we sustain this point of order, I think it will open the door to many more unfunded mandates.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3448, the Small Business Job Protection Act, strong legislation to help small business and to help American workers. Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan bill would enact several key tax incentives critical to working students, critical to trainees with limited skills, and critical to small businesses that are the most dynamic sector of the American economy. Mr. Speaker, this bill encourages investment in jobs by cash-starved small economies, small businesses. H.R. 3448 will increase the limit on the amount of equipment that a small business can expense from the current level of $17,500 to $25,000. This will allow small companies to grow and to create more jobs. This bill encourages the hiring of low-skilled workers through the work opportunity tax credit, a critical initiative to bring more people out of the welfare system and into the work force. This bill encourages critical investment in worker training through a tax break for employer-provided undergraduate tuition, that, unfortunately, the last Congress had allowed to expire. This legislation increases access to pension benefits for workers through pension reform and pension simplification. Mr. Speaker, all of these provisions passed the Committee on Ways and Means with strong bipartisan support. I invite my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support our workers by giving employers the tools to create and improve jobs by voting ``yes'' on H.R. 3448.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably delayed from voting on two bills under suspension on Tuesday, April 23, since the Pennsylvania primary election required my voting in the 21st district of Pennsylvania that same morning. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on H.R. 2024, and ``yes'' on H.R. 1965.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the legislation, which would create a debt ceiling opportunity, a 2-week window of opportunity so that we can bring real change to Washington. I believe that this is a responsible initiative. It allows us to continue to fund the Federal Government, but it also sets the stage so that we can use this window of opportunity to reach an agreement under which we can later this month pass a permanent debt limit bill that achieves real savings, reduces the debt and particularly reduces the debt, that we pass on to our children. In my view, this is the responsible way to go. It gives us an opportunity to put together a coalition to get some things done as part of a permanent debt ceiling increase.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 877, my vote was not recorded because of an apparent mechanical failure of my voting machine. Had I been recorded, I would have voted aye.