Patrick McHenry

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, this week House Democrats are pushing forward a measure allowing Delegates to cast votes even on the House floor, even in this chamber. Now, what is happening here is a continuation of a policy that the Democrats have put in place since day one, and that is an abuse of power. This proposal this week means that Delegates from Guam, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and my favorite, American Samoa, will enjoy new voting privileges similar to Members of Congress who actually represent districts in the United States and who actually represent districts with tax-paying citizens of the United States. This is a clear abuse of power. And beyond that, as we all know, there is this little thing called the Constitution, and the Constitution says very clearly, the House shall be comprised of Members chosen by the people of the several States, not territories, not any member who wishes to come to this House floor and vote, but those elected by the citizens of the United States from districts in the United States. What the Democrats are trying to do here is cushion their numbers. There is a tight majority here in the House that the Democrats have, and they are trying to add to those numbers so that when they have tough votes on the House floor, they can look up and point to a better number for their side than for the Republican side. Beyond that, 80 percent of the Delegates from these territories are Democrats. Let's think this thing through. I think it is starting to make sense now, Mr. Speaker. There is an abuse of power that is continuing in the third week of Congress that began even before its first day. And let me tell you what is so perplexing about this, is that while my constituents have to pay Federal income tax in order to have their representation in Congress, the Delegates from the territories represent constituents who never have to pay Federal income tax. While the Revolutionary War was fought over this idea of taxation without representation, what we have here today with this Delegate voting is representation without taxation. I think that would be great for my constituents in western North Carolina; I think it would be great for all of America if we don't have to pay Federal income tax and still have our power and our elected democracy, but that is not the case. But let's rewind. Just 2 weeks ago, the new Speaker of the House pushed forward a new minimum wage bill, a minimum wage bill that covered all of America and all of the territories, save one, American Samoa. The largest employer in American Samoa is headquartered in no other district than the Speaker's home district in San Francisco. I think something smells fishy. That is what I said at the time. And I think this is another fishy favor to the Delegates from the territories. It is quite perplexing, Mr. Speaker, that in week three we have a continued abuse of power on this House floor. But let's go back, let's rewind. What else have the Democrats done in their short time in power to abuse the power that the American people gave them? Well, let's look at this: On opening day, we proposed the Pelosi minority bill of rights, the same bill of rights that the Democrats demanded 2 years ago. We proposed the same thing, and the Speaker summarily dismissed it. Look at the 9/11 Commission, they pledged to implement all of the 9/11 Commission recommendations, and they went back on that pledge. A 5-day workweek, that was a key pledge they made during the campaign, and after the campaign they said this House will work 5 days a week. We have yet to work a 5-day workweek. In fact, last Friday we voted on only one bill. And also, in 3 weeks in Congress, we only worked 40 hours in those 3 weeks. Another abuse of power, Mr. Speaker. And finally, when they talk about keeping votes open in order to change the outcome; they have already done that, which is another abuse of power. Mr. Speaker, this Delegate voting is something fishy, and it is another fishy favor put forward by the new Speaker of the House and the new Democrat majority in order to pad their number and further abuse power. We should reject it, and the American people who pay taxes should be angry at this proposal.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Madam Speaker, today I rise to encourage my colleagues to support the troops in harm's way. We are fighting an ongoing war on terror not just in Iraq, but around the globe, and it is immoral for Members of this body to defund troops that are in harm's way. That is why I commend my colleague Sam Johnson for stepping forward, for a resolution saying that we are not going to defund troops in harm's way, that we are going to stand beside them and fight with them in this war on terrorism and this war in Iraq, because, after all, terror is merely a tactic that Islamic extremists are using to fight the West. As one of the last great powers in this world, we are the embodiment of the West. Therefore the Islamic extremists are seeking to destroy and undermine our society. So now more than ever we have to stand with our troops in harm's way so that they can defend us and make it possible for us to live in a vibrant, free Nation and a great economy.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, more than 20,000 people descended on Washington today as part of the March for Life rally, marking the 34th anniversary of the Supreme Court's ruling on Roe v. Wade. Over 44 million children, little boys and little girls, their lives have been lost since 1973, at this origination of Roe v. Wade. They were never given the opportunity to enjoy life. As one March for Life participant pointed out today: ``Rain or shine, these unborn children don't have that option. They'll never be able to feel the rain on their heads. They'll never be able to feel the wind on their face. So this is a great opportunity for us to march in their honor.'' And these participants braved cold weather and lots of rain today to participate and stand up for the most vulnerable in our society. I hope for a more prosperous day when our country respects the lives of the unborn.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pass along some inside information to the American people. By the way, this is the most poorly kept secret in Congress. Big surprise: The Democrats want to raise taxes, again. Never mind that tax revenues increased by 11.5 percent last year because of strong economic growth, economic growth created by the Bush tax cuts over the last 6 years. Never mind, never mind, the economy is strong. Never mind that last year the U.S. Government took in more revenue than any government in history. Actually, in the history of the planet. But yet that is not enough revenue for the Democrats' plans, yet they talk about pay-as-you-go in order to tax the American people more. This is a poorly kept secret, that the tax and spend Democrats are indeed still tax and spend Democrats.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, there is something fishy going on here. The Washington Times reported yesterday that ``the Democrats' minimum wage legislation exempts American Samoa, a Pacific island territory, that would be the only U.S. territory not subject to the Federal minimum wage.'' The article goes on to say: ``The loophole pleases StarKist Tuna, one of the two packaging plants that employ over 5,000 Samoans, or nearly 75 percent of the island's workforce. ``StarKist's parent company, Del Monte, is headquartered in San Francisco.'' Now, after these press reports came out, the Democrats want to include American Samoa in this legislation, 2 days after it passed this House. Why? Because the American public found out about this special interest scheme. This is a clear abuse of power for a hometown company. Indeed, Mr. Speaker, Madam Speaker, indeed, this is an abuse of power, and there is something definitely fishy going on here.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I thank Congressman Garrett for proffering that. I think it is a wonderful thing because we know that our colleagues perhaps, Mr. Speaker, would be watching this debate and perhaps they could join us and answer some of these questions that we are trying to wrestle with on this important piece of legislation that the House took up just yesterday and passed under a closed rule, under martial law, not allowing any dissenting voices to offer any amendments to perfect it, perhaps extending the Federal minimum wage to even American Samoans or, in fact, change the bill so that it helps small businesses transition with this increase in the Federal minimum wage. We have many questions, and I would love for our colleagues to join us here on the floor to answer these questions because we need the answers from the Democrat majority who control this place. And I would dare say, if the Madam Speaker would like to come before us here tonight, we would be happy to yield plenty of time for her to explain these actions of this new Democrat majority. We would love to have some input from our other colleagues on the other side of the aisle. In an air of bipartisanship, let's share our time, Congressman King, during this leadership hour and make sure that we have an open dialogue and we answer questions.

Mr. McHENRY. It is also interesting that the parent company that employs 75 percent of Samoans, American Samoans, is headquartered in San Francisco. It is an interesting oddity in press reports that this is raised. And, like I said, Congressman King, I believe it is just fishy. It is very fishy that this would happen in the opening week of a new Congress that espouses really high ethical standards which we all hope for and we strive for as individuals and as a collective body. It is a very strange happening in the Democrats' 100-hour provisions that they even go back on their campaign pledge to have the Federal minimum wage across America, not exempting certain areas or certain islands or certain peoples, but actually have a uniform standard. It is very fishy that these things happen just at the beginning.

Mr. McHENRY. I thank my colleague from Iowa for asking that question. It's an overly broad answer, it seems. Yet the other interesting avenue here on exempting a certain area of America with a certain business interest that is represented by a certain individual, well, it is interesting to me because in many ways what the Democrats promised was an end to earmarks. Earmarks, the American people know very well that earmarks are simply pork-barrel spending. Well, I will tell you something, this may be tuna, but it smells like pork. And this special provision, I would submit to you, should fall under this earmark reform that the new Democrat majority wants to pass on this House floor. I think it is a high goal for us to have, that is, to have fundamental earmark reform so we eliminate pork-barrel spending programs. But this bill in the first full week of the Democrat majority has an earmark. And my colleague from New Jersey has joined us, and Congressman Garrett is very involved in the fiscal conservative agenda, as my fellow colleague from Iowa is, Congressman King. Now, would you define this as an earmark, Congressman Garrett?

Mr. McHENRY. I thank my colleague from Iowa for his leadership, and I wanted to echo what you were speaking of earlier. And it is interesting what we are experiencing right now in Congress, an interesting time. The new Speaker comes to office with a new Democrat majority, and what the Speaker pledges is ``respect for every voice,'' and another quote, ``working for all of America.'' Well, all of America except American Samoa, a small island in the South Pacific where they have been exempted from the Federal minimum wage. Now, Nancy Pelosi during the campaign, then-Minority Leader Pelosi said, ``The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 will increase the Federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 over the next 2 years, providing families with additional funds to cover the increasing costs of health insurance, gasoline, and home heating and attending college.'' There actually was a press release just a few days ago when the Speaker of the House issued this press statement. That is good. That is a high honor which the new Speaker had of increasing the Federal minimum wage, and it is a high honor for some politicians in Washington, D.C. to use other people's money to increase other people's wages. It is not coming from the pockets of D.C. politicians; it is coming from small business owners across the America who are going to be impacted and perhaps lose jobs over this. But the bad item in this is the Washington Times report from just today that ``the Democrats' minimum wage legislation exempts American Samoa, another Pacific Islands territory, that would become the only U.S. territory not subject to the Federal minimum wage.'' That is from the report from the Washington Times today. Now, it is peculiar. Why, I ask, would American Samoa be exempt from the Federal minimum wage? It seems an oddity, does it not, Congressman King? It seems an oddity that a small island of all of our territories in this great Nation, of all the States in the Nation, that an island is exempt. One island. Why, I ask, would that island be exempt? It just seems perplexing to me. I mean, it seems like good news that the new Democrat majority and the new Speaker want to raise the Federal minimum wage to help people, to help families with their health insurance, gasoline, home heating, as well as attending college. If it is not good for American Samoa, how could it be good for the United States to have an increase in the Federal minimum wage? And if it is good for the United States, if it is good for America, why is not American Samoa given the same benefits? It is America, too. Well, perhaps the new Democrat Speaker doesn't think so. The question I raise, Congressman King, is why could that be? We are just simply asking the question here tonight, why could that be the new Democrat Speaker would want to exempt a single island from a large piece of legislation? In fact, it is one of their six items in their 100-hour program. It is an amazing question to me, Congressman King. It is an amazing question with perhaps a simple answer. Well, going back to the Washington Times article, if I may quote from there: ``The loopholes please the tuna corporations that employ thousands of Samoans in canneries there at $3.26 an hour. One of the biggest opponents of the U.S. minimum wage is StarKist Tuna, which owns one of the two packing plants that together employ more than 5,000 Samoans or nearly 75 percent of the island's workforce. StarKist's parent company, Del Monte Corp., is headquartered in San Francisco, which is represented by--.'' Well, we will fill in the blank, that is, for someone else to fill in the blank. But certainly something is fishy. Something is indeed fishy when the Federal minimum wage is good for all Americans as espoused by the Democrat majority, yet we exempt a small, in many terms economically struggling, island. Now, I submit, Mr. Speaker, if it is good for us in this Chamber to vote to raise the Federal minimum wage, is it not good for all Americans, even in the territories? Is it not a matter of fairness to extend that to all the territories? It is an amazing happening, Congressman King, in these opening hours that I would ask you, why could this be? I mean, if we are going to work for all America as the new Speaker said, why not all of America, even the territories? Congressman King, there are many questions here, but I raise the question, how could this be in the most ethical Congress in history?

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. I just have a question about----

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, would the gentlewoman yield for a question?

Mr. McHENRY. So the Chair is saying that I may not offer an amendment exempting American Samoa from this legislation.

Mr. McHENRY. Further parliamentary inquiry. Further parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. McHENRY. So the gentleman----

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, inquiry of the contents of this legislation. Would it be appropriate to offer an amendment at this time exempting American Samoa just as it was from the minimum wage bill?

Mr. McHENRY. Parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, a parliamentary inquiry does not count against anyone's time.

Mr. McHENRY. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. McHENRY. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. McHENRY. Is there a way by which I can derive whether or not American Samoa, like the minimum wage bill, is exempted from this legislation?

Mr. McHENRY. Parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. McHENRY. Well, the Chair will not answer my question.

Mr. McHENRY. So the gentleman will not recognize me for an additional parliamentary inquiry?

Mr. McHENRY. Additional inquiry.

Mr. McHENRY. Is American Samoa exempted from this bill before us on the House floor?