Quote :

"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."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! He tried to get an amendment to make the American Samoa exempt from stem cell research in the same way that the American Samoa was left out of the minimum wage bill!

This is classic, yet disturbing...

1/12/2007 8:56:26 AM

no he didn't


how about you read more carefully

Quote :

"McHenry raised a parliamentary inquiry "

He was making a point......

1/12/2007 9:29:22 AM

Quote :

"This is exactly the hypocrisy and double talk that we have come to expect from the Democrats."

"We're not winning, we're not losing."

1/12/2007 9:30:09 AM

Quote :

"This is exactly the hypocrisy and double talk that we have come to expect from the CongressDemocrats."

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 9:33 AM. Reason : crazy code n00b]

1/12/2007 9:32:41 AM

Quote :

"This is exactly the hypocrisy and double talk that we have come to expect from the CongressDemocratsgovernment."

1/12/2007 9:48:06 AM

touche

1/12/2007 9:48:37 AM

So no one sees it as prolematic that the American Samoa was left out of the minimum wage increase while every other state and territory got the increase? And The American Samoa's population (75%) works for the tuna company that does business out of San Francisco? Which happens to be the newly elected Speaker of the House's district?

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 9:50 AM. Reason : .]

1/12/2007 9:50:10 AM

i was unaware the speaker got 200 votes.

1/12/2007 9:53:10 AM

I'm fairly sure the prevaling attitude is that they're so small that the impact is too negligible to get huffy about...

I mean, if a callout's all you're looking for, here you go: This is bullshit. They should have the hike, too.

But to borrow from the PATRIOT Act defense, the Congressmen (er...they're aids) should've read the entire fucking bill before approving it. This is just crying over spilt milk.

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 9:55 AM. Reason : \/ the PATRIOT Act was passed under similar circumstances]

1/12/2007 9:54:07 AM

^Sure the Samoa is small in population, but you don't know what lobbying went on with the tuna companies. That's not insignificant to passify a constituent while raising the labor cost of every other business in America. That's actually pretty deplorable.



^^If you didn't know, the democrats passed this bill without the chance for debate.

So, in a sense, she got 435 votes.

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 9:55 AM. Reason : .]

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 9:56 AM. Reason : .]

1/12/2007 9:54:33 AM

Dude, welcome to minority politics.

1/12/2007 9:56:15 AM

I don't like being in the minority

1/12/2007 9:56:55 AM

and the American Samoa people are.... BROWN!



OMG THE DEMOCRATS AND NANCY PELOSI HATE BROWN PEOPLE! THEY WANT TO KEEP THEM IN POVERTY!

1/12/2007 9:57:53 AM

Quote :

"OMG THE DEMOCRATS AND NANCY PELOSI HATE BROWN PEOPLETUNA FISH AND WANT THEM ALL DESTROYED!"

1/12/2007 9:59:39 AM

um, No, quite the opposite. They're showing favoritism towards tunafish.

1/12/2007 10:02:29 AM

I know McHenry. He can be a funny guy.

1/12/2007 10:17:51 AM

Like a clown? Like he is there to amuse you?

1/12/2007 10:26:05 AM

No wai.

They're doing this so that the company can afford to hire more workers to kill the fish!

1/12/2007 10:28:41 AM

Is this an example of Pelosi's new ethical behavior? The FBI should check her freezer, she probably has a walk-in.

1/12/2007 10:29:47 AM

Quote :

"They're doing this so that the company can afford to hire more workers to kill the fish!"

Anti-environmental too...


Hmm, this is the new ethics that the democrats promised... I see...

1/12/2007 10:34:57 AM

Blame Iraq.

1/12/2007 10:42:16 AM

Quote :

"According to the chairman of the House, Education and Labor Committee, Democrat George Miller of California, the economy of American Samoa doesn't have the ability to handle the United States' minimum wage and should be exempt. "

So StarKist gets a pass because it doesn't have the ability to handle a $7.25 min wage. I suppose if you ask them, there are plenty more companies in the US that can't handle a $7.25 min wage. Why should we deny them the exemption just because they aren't located in the magical Pelosi district.

This is what's going to happen when you shove through a bunch of bills without sufficient time to read and discuss them just to make some arbitrary 100 hours gimmick.

1/12/2007 11:21:39 AM

so...Barney Frank and Patty got into it? I wonder which one said no.

1/12/2007 11:22:10 AM

hahahahahahahahahahhahaah your gay McHenry joke is SO FRESH! DID YOU MAKE THAT ONE UP ALL BY YOURSELF?

1/12/2007 11:29:57 AM

^^^ Indeed. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss (excepting Iraq).

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 11:33 AM. Reason : .]

1/12/2007 11:32:54 AM

This is just following the continuing trend toward US territories. A lot of our islands out in the South Pacific are exempt from various labor laws which allows American companies to setup shop and exploit cheap migrant workers from Eastern Asia. It's really clever actually but depressing.

Some quick googling found old accusations of DeLay doing something similar by exempting various South Pacific islands from labor laws with plenty of Democratic quotes calling it a promotion of slave labor so I suppose its fair game for Republicans. Though like the Democrats at the time, it's not going to get them anywhere.

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 12:45 PM. Reason : .]

1/12/2007 12:45:23 PM

i have to say, i'm not really a fan of Pelosi anyway. something about her just rubs me the wrong way....

1/12/2007 12:55:15 PM

It's fucked up if all the other territories were a part of the hike but American Samoa wasn't. That's pretty shitty.

1/12/2007 12:59:12 PM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/08/AR2007010801641.html

A link from the Washington Post, in case any of you wanted a more respectable news source.

1/12/2007 1:04:58 PM

I saw this on the news this morning and really can't believe it. More of the same...

1/12/2007 1:35:59 PM

I think we really should give props to McHenry for standing up (even though he's 5'3" at best). It takes balls to go against the mainstream like that.

And it was pretty damned funny.

1/12/2007 1:42:22 PM

Quote :

"So no one sees it as prolematic that the American Samoa was left out of the minimum wage increase while every other state and territory got the increase?"

American samoa has never had the US minimium wage imposed on it, thus the hike wouldn't really have anything to do with it, now would it? If people think that american samoa should have US minimium wage, then it should be raised in seperate legislation.

This is nothing more than the washington times trying to find something to bitch about.

1/12/2007 1:47:10 PM

^ That's not the entirety of the issue.

The Northern Mariana Islands were in a similar situation, but had the minimum wage imposed on them by the democrats, but are just leaving the Samoans untouched. If they're going to make all the territories follow the law, there's no reason to exempt the Samoans.

1/12/2007 1:52:22 PM

^^ As moron stated, the reason why this is such a big news deal was because Tom DeLay had done something very similar with labor laws for the North Mariana Islands during the Republican majority. The Democratic representatives made a huge deal out of it, accusing the Republicans of attempting to create virtual slave labor within United States territory despite arguments about competitiveness and the sovereignty of the islands. They used it as one of their examples of Republican favors for special interests during the Abramoff Scandal.

Now that the Democrats have the majority, it appears that they are attempting to do the same except for American Samoa. The circumstantial looks bad: American Samoa has a Democratic representative versus the Republican from North Mariana while the biggest employer who would be impacted in American Samoa happens to be a copy that is headquartered in Nancy Pelosi's home district. Even if Pelosi wasn't directly lobbied on this issue, the perception is still bad. Especially bad since they Democrats made such a big fuss about not doing business as usual.

Mountain out of a molehill perhaps, but if the Democrats don't respond to this quickly and correctly, it could blow up in their faces. Now that it's been picked up by a major national newspaper (Washington Post), it's going to start accelerating.

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 3:24 PM. Reason : Added last couple of sentences]

1/12/2007 3:20:27 PM

i doubt many people will care about this either way.

1/12/2007 3:35:39 PM

I care.


Samoas are my favorite girl scout cookie.

1/12/2007 3:49:13 PM

Quote :

"The Democratic representatives made a huge deal out of it, accusing the Republicans of attempting to create virtual slave labor within United States territory despite arguments about competitiveness and the sovereignty of the islands."

They couldn't make that big of a deal about it if I never heard about it.

Quote :

"Mountain out of a molehill perhaps, but if the Democrats don't respond to this quickly and correctly, it could blow up in their faces. Now that it's been picked up by a major national newspaper (Washington Post), it's going to start accelerating."

You really think THIS is going to be a huge issue? katrina response, invasion of privacy, increased threat of terrorism, war in iraq, increasing debt, all kinds of republican backroom sex and money scandals, prisoner abuse and international law breaking in guantanamo, do you think this issue could hold a candle to ANY of those.

This is a non-issue at best.

1/12/2007 4:06:44 PM

talking points words talking points words

1/12/2007 4:25:10 PM

What part of the 10th amendment allows a minimum wage law?

1/12/2007 4:29:38 PM

the ability for congress to regulation interstate commerce.

1/12/2007 4:48:14 PM

interstate =/= intrastate

1/12/2007 5:04:30 PM

video http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/01/11/barney-frank-kicks-patrick-mchenry-around-the-house-floor/

McHenry is an idiot. He needs to read Robert's Rules of Orders cause he looked like a fucking idiot.



as to the constitution, wikipedia says

Quote :

"The first attempt at establishing a national minimum wage came in 1933, when a $0.25/hour standard was set as part of the National Industrial Recovery Act. However, in the 1935 court case Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States (295 U.S. 495), the United States Supreme Court declared the act unconstitutional, and the minimum wage was abolished."

But, it doesnt say anything about why the law passed in 1938 was allowed.

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 5:17 PM. Reason : non-pad]

1/12/2007 5:14:10 PM

^^Gonzales v. Raich

"purely local activities . . . that have a substantial effect on interstate commerce."

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 5:17 PM. Reason : .]

1/12/2007 5:17:33 PM

Quote :

"You really think THIS is going to be a huge issue? katrina response, invasion of privacy, increased threat of terrorism, war in iraq, increasing debt, all kinds of republican backroom sex and money scandals, prisoner abuse and international law breaking in guantanamo, do you think this issue could hold a candle to ANY of those. This is a non-issue at best."

Big in the sense that it gives Republicans something that they can distract their supporters with from all the bad news. Like you said, not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it provides extra motivation for Republicans to fight against Democratic efforts instead of cooperating after being beaten down (minus Iraq, the odds are too far against Bush on this one).

1/12/2007 5:35:32 PM

The Republican base is going to be motivated by the non-application of the minimum wage to one island?

1/12/2007 5:43:11 PM

Quote :

"all kinds of republican backroom sex "

but not the president

1/12/2007 5:52:43 PM

Quote :

"it could blow up in their faces."

Could if played correctly.

75% of the workers on Samoa work for StarKist (Del Monte). The reason given for the exemption is the inability to pay the min. wage. If a huge corporation like Del Monte can't afford to pay the min. wage, how can they expect all the thousands of smaller businesses to pay it?

With veto pen in hand, Bush should say..

"I was gonna sign this bill, until I read it a little closer. In effect, it exempts one single, large corporation whose headquarters are located in the home district of the Speaker of the House.
I cannot sign this bill and then face the many small business-people who will be required to pay their employees $7.25 while the Del-Monte corporation can continue to pay some of their workers $3.90.
I will sign this only when it includes each and every American business which employs people in each and every American State or territory."

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 9:49 PM. Reason : .]

1/12/2007 9:48:11 PM

that would go over great.

80% of americans support raising the minimum wage. Vetoeing it over this would be insane. Unless he uses his signing statements for good this time and chooses to not allow the exemption. That would actually make me happy about something he has done for the first time in years.

1/12/2007 11:05:07 PM

mchenry is a backbencher just trying to gain some future concessions on power (chairmanship, study committee, leadership position etc) by performing as leadership's attack dog

he's been at it since the day he got in washington 2 years ago


btw that's not a criticism,

its just that he's been so naked about it...

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 11:07 PM. Reason : .]

1/12/2007 11:07:31 PM

set em up!

btw, pelosi is evil!

1/13/2007 2:16:48 AM