The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

January 6, 2007

Walz eager to dig into legislative issues

Rookie congressman a co-sponsor of minimum wage bil

By Mark Fischenich

By Mark Fischenich

Free Press Staff Writer

After setting the rules of the game during the first couple of days of the new congressional session, the House will get down to passing legislation this week. Rep. Tim Walz of Mankato said he’s ready and may be involved in promoting passage of one of the early bills.

The rookie Democrat is a co-sponsor of legislation to boost the minimum wage for the first time in a decade, lifting it from $5.15 per hour to $7.25.

“It’s a clean bill, so it will go pretty smoothly,” he predicted. “... I think you’ll see this pass, and I think you’ll see the president sign it.”

The wage legislation is part of a series of bills the new Democratic majority in the House hopes to pass in its first 100 hours of floor sessions. Action in the more tightly split Senate, where rules give the minority more opportunities to block legislation, is expected to be slower.

House Democratic leaders came under criticism from Republicans when they announced plans to fast-track the legislation in the first 100 hours. Walz said he isn’t entirely comfortable with restricting opportunities for hearings and Republican amendments on the Democrats’ 100-hour agenda.

When it comes to the minimum wage bill, Walz said it would be easy to deflect opposition because the wage hike is so overdue. It’s unjust that someone can work 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year and still be below the poverty level — which is the case with full-time minimum wage workers now, he said.

“I’m sure not afraid to debate the minimum wage bill with anyone considering that 89 percent of the people in the country support it,” he said.

Walz was pleased with the rules the Democratic majority put in place in its first days in charge, including restrictions on gifts from lobbyists and a ban on lobbyist funded travel for members of Congress.

Former Congressman Gil Gutknecht, who Walz defeated on Nov. 7, was at the top of the list for lobbyist-financed trips by House members from Minnesota in recent years. Walz was critical of Gutknecht’s travel, including a free trip to a Boca Raton resort where officials from the dairy industry were meeting.

Walz said he was able to hold dozens of meetings with groups and constituents between the election and his swearing-in.

“No one had to fly me to Florida, nobody had to buy me lunch, no one had to give me a gift,” he said. “That’s my job.”

Walz also applauded the House’s decision to reinstate the pay-as-you-go budget rules that were dropped when President Bush and congressional Republicans were pushing large tax cuts in 2001. The rules, which were credited for helping to balance the federal budget in the years leading up to 2001, require that tax cuts and spending increases be offset by tax increases or spending cuts.

Essentially, PAY-GO rules attempt to force Congress to prioritize rather than simply borrowing more money to cover the cost of spending more or taxing less.

“It’s going to be difficult. It’s going to be painful,” Walz said. “... But to me, it’s an absolute imperative.”

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