Dave Obey

Mr. OBEY

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I have one other request for time. How much time do I have remaining?

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia [Mr. Mollohan].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Roemer]. (Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. OBEY. Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I do not rise in opposition. I doubt that there is any Member in opposition, but I would again like to work out an understanding on the sharing of the time.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes, the remainder of my time, to the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Durbin]

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I hear the gentleman on the other side of the aisle shouting ``Vote, vote.'' They are the ones who imposed this rule. I think we have a right to use the time granted under it. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Cardin].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Harman].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Schumer].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Utah [Mr. Orton].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Browder].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Minge].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, since I am calling up this amendment on behalf of the gentleman from Oklahoma, Mr. Brewster, who is the real author of the amendment, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma [Mr. Brewster]. (Mr. BREWSTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I offer amendment number 13 originally printed by the gentleman from Oklahoma [Mr. Brewster].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, what a joke we just heard. We were just told that it is the Democrats who are protecting the status quo and yet it is the gentleman from Texas who is offering the amendment that is preventing the agency from moving off the status quo to protect people who are getting injured every day in the workplace. Come on, get off it. Give me a break. This amendment is paraded as the device by which you stop the ergonomic study. In fact, this amendment has no way of stopping the ergonomic study. It does not do that. All it does is cut 3 million additional dollars out of OSHA, and the gentleman is nodding in agreement. All that will do is cut the number of consultations which OSHA can provide businessmen so that businessmen can find out how to correct problems without being inspected, and all it does is also cut out their ability to provide needed high visibility inspections. Now he says he wants OSHA to follow good science. I ask a question: Where do you think you are likely to find that good science? From the neutral officials in OSHA who are charged with the legal responsibility to protect American workers? Or from the horde of lobbyists which the Washington Post described just last week as being all over the gentleman's office as he was preparing the anti-regulation barrage that we got hit with last week? I think you know the answer to that one. With all due respect, if I am looking for good science, I am not going to go to the Fortune 500 list of lobbyists they talked about in that Washington Post article just 2 days ago. This amendment is just like the tax cuts this party is trying to push. They are trying to push capital gains tax cuts and give three- fourths of the benefits to people who make more than 100,000 bucks a year. They are trying to repeal the requirement that every American corporation that is a big one and makes money at least pays some taxes. They want to go back to the good old days when you do not even require the Fortune 500 corporations to pay taxes. Why then we should be surprised that they offer an amendment which says to workers, ``Forget it, baby, we're interested in your bosses but not you''? I think this amendment perhaps ought to be passed. It is a perfect example of what the Republican party has come to stand for. It is a perfect symbol for how bad this bill is. So vote for it. You are going to pass it, you have got the votes, but you ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I was told by the Chair I have the right to close. I have only one closing speaker.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Coyne]. (Mr. COYNE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Engel].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Lowey]. (Mrs. LOWEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Owens]. (Mr. OWENS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Porter], the chairman of the subcommittee.