Text 26160, 53 rader
Skriven 2007-01-12 10:13:00 av Jeff Binkley (1:226/600)
Ärende: Hypocrisy of the left
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http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070112-120720-2734r.htm

GOP hits Pelosi's 'hypocrisy' on wage bill
By Charles Hurt
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
January 12, 2007


House Republicans yesterday declared "something fishy" about the major tuna
company in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco district being exempted
from the minimum-wage increase that Democrats approved this week.
    "I am shocked," said Rep. Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican and his party's
chief deputy whip, noting that Mrs. Pelosi campaigned heavily on promises of
honest government. "Now we find out that she is exempting hometown companies
from minimum wage. This is exactly the hypocrisy and double talk that we have
come to expect from the Democrats."
    On Wednesday, the House voted to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25
per hour.
    The bill also extends for the first time the federal minimum wage to the
U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands. However, it exempts American
Samoa, another Pacific island territory that would become the only U.S.
territory not subject to federal minimum-wage laws.
    One of the biggest opponents of the federal minimum wage in Samoa 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 work force.
StarKist's parent company, Del Monte Corp., has headquarters in San Francisco,
which is represented by Mrs. Pelosi. The other plant belongs to
California-based Chicken of the Sea.
    "There's something fishy going on here," said Rep. Patrick T. McHenry,
North Carolina Republican.
    During the House debate yesterday on stem-cell research, Mr. McHenry raised
a parliamentary inquiry as to whether an amendment could be offered that would
exempt American Samoa from stem-cell research, "just as it was for the
minimum-wage bill."
    A clearly perturbed Rep. Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat who was
presiding, cut off Mr. McHenry and shouted, "No, it would not be."
    "So, the chair is saying I may not offer an amendment exempting American
Samoa?" Mr. McHenry pressed.
    "The gentleman is making a speech and will sustain," Mr. Frank shouted as
he slammed his large wooden gavel against the rostrum.
    Some Republicans who voted in favor of the minimum-wage bill were
particularly irritated to learn yesterday -- after their vote -- that the
legislation did not include American Samoa.
    "I was troubled to learn of this exemption," said Rep. Mark Steven Kirk,
Illinois Republican. "My intention was to raise the minimum wage for everyone.
We shouldn't permit any special favors or exemptions that are not widely
discussed in Congress. This is the problem with rushing legislation through
without full debate."
    A spokeswoman for Mrs. Pelosi said Wednesday that the speaker has not been
lobbied in any way by StarKist or Del Monte.

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