Reflecting on Priorities Facing America

Floor Speech

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Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the gentleman and the coleader for leading this event for the Congressional Black Caucus under the leadership of Chairwoman Karen Bass. The Congressional Black Caucus is the conscience of this Congress.

I don't know if you know, and I am constantly reminding people, Mr. Speaker, that the President, in August 2016, came to Philadelphia and said, ``What the hell do you have to lose?'' That is what he said.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues from the Congressional Black Caucus in calling for an increase in the Federal minimum wage. I am pleased that the Democratic leadership plans to put the Raise the Wage Act up for a vote in the House.

A raise for these workers is long overdue. Congress has not raised the national minimum wage in 10 years. My home State has not raised its minimum wage for 13 years. Inflation has increased the cost of living nearly 19 percent from 10 years ago. Food, healthcare, and utilities all went up.

Let me repeat that. A raise for these workers is long overdue. Congress has not raised the national minimum wage for 10 years. My home State of Pennsylvania has not raised its minimum wage for 13 years. Inflation has raised the cost of living nearly 19 percent from 10 years ago. Food, healthcare, and utilities all went up.

Members from both parties should be able to agree that no one who works full-time should live in poverty. I am very focused on poverty because my city of Philadelphia has a 26 percent poverty rate.

Raising the minimum wage is one of the best tools in the toolbox for lifting Americans out of poverty. That includes 600,000 children who will be lifted out of poverty by the Raise the Wage Act.

It is important, Mr. Speaker, to understand that one of our colleagues, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who leads the effort around the reduction of poverty, particularly child poverty, when we talk about the issue, 600,000 children will be lifted out of poverty by the Raise the Wage Act. How can my colleagues say no to that?

We need to find some way to move forward. We have an opportunity, and that opportunity is the Raise the Wage Act. Americans who are working the hardest to grow our economy need to share the rewards of that growth. Just think, that raise in their pocket allows them to spend money in the economy. That is not something to take lightly.

When we talk about small businesses--and I am the vice chair of the Small Business Committee--and we talk about small businesses being the backbone of our community, obviously, they need customers. They need customers who have money in their pockets.

It is not just enough for that individual, but it is enough for entrepreneurs. It is enough for building businesses. It is enough for building communities. It is enough for all of us to recognize the importance and the significance of raising the wage.

We need to not take that lightly. We need to understand that, in some of our communities, there is a growing income inequality gap, and we need to address that. The way to address it is by fundamentally raising the wage. Raising the wage gives people more of an opportunity to participate in this economy.

We know this economy tends to be rigged for those who are at the top against those at the bottom who are trying to struggle and find a way. When you talk about our not raising the minimum wage in 10 years--and 13 years in Pennsylvania--I want anyone who is listening or watching what is taking place here this evening to know that the Congressional Black Caucus, clearly, as the chairperson always likes to say--she always talks about hidden figures. The hidden figures are that we haven't raised the wage in 10 years, and in Pennsylvania, they haven't raised it in 13 years.

Americans who are working are working harder. They are working more than one job. They are working two, three jobs. There is something wrong with that. The CEOs have definitely been getting their raises.

Where is the raise for the people who cook their food, make their beds, and clean their offices? Where is the raise for the people who cook their food, make their beds, and clean their offices?

Today, led by my two colleagues from the great State of Nevada and the great Virgin Islands who are leaders in this effort, I am glad to join with them to add my voice to raising the wage.

This is not an accident that the Congressional Black Caucus will be in the forefront because this is an issue that means a great deal to an awful lot of Americans and particularly African Americans when we have a President of the United States who comes and says: What do you have to lose?

The fact of the matter is, when we look at his administration, clearly, the policies are not connecting to moving the people, at least not moving the people whom we are talking to and the situations that we are seeing.

The bottom line on the minimum wage is simple: Pay these people now. Pay these people now and raise the wage.

We can no longer joke about this. We can no longer have it as political rhetoric. We must show action, and we must show people that we are determined to raise the wage.

I thank my colleagues for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to both of yours for what we are attempting to do today. We need to keep doing this every single day and not leave here until this wage raises.

The bottom line of the minimum wage is simple: Pay these people now and raise the wage.

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