Hoyer Says a New Direction for America Includes an Increase in the Minimum Wage

Hoyer Says a New Direction for America Includes an Increase in the Minimum Wage

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today at an event with the bicameral Democratic leadership of Congress discussing Democrats' plan for taking America in a New Direction:

"One month ago, the Republican Congress passed and President Bush signed a tax bill that gives millionaires an average tax cut of nearly $42,000. Forty-two thousand dollars! At a time of exploding deficits and debt!

"Meanwhile, it is getting harder and harder for the average American family to just break even. Gas prices, health care costs, college tuition - they're all rising faster than the increase in paychecks and families are feeling the pinch.

"Then there are the millions of working Americans who are struggling to afford even the basic necessities of life - those workers who earn the minimum wage. It takes an American making minimum wage a full day's pay to buy a tank of gas.

"Congress has not raised the minimum wage since 1997. At $5.15 an hour, the minimum wage is at its lowest level in 50 years when adjusted for inflation.

"Some would have you believe that those earning the minimum wage are a bunch of teenagers working summer jobs. In fact, more than 7 million people would benefit from a raise in the minimum wage, and almost 2 million of them are parents with children. Nearly 75 percent of minimum wage workers are adults over the age of 20, many of whom are responsible for over half of their family's income. There are 760,000 single mothers who would benefit from a raise.

"Many Republicans say that raising the minimum wage would hurt job growth. But in fact, there is no such evidence.

"Democrats have been fighting for years to raise the minimum wage. If the minimum wage had been indexed for inflation it would be $9.05 per hour.

"But House Republicans refuse to even allow us to vote on the minimum wage.

"This week, I successfully added an amendment to the appropriations bill funding labor, health and education programs to raise the minimum wage to $7.25 over two years, setting up the first vote in the House in over a decade.

"Now Republicans are threatening to not bring up this bill, the largest funding bill after that of the Department of Defense, to avoid raising the minimum wage.

"For Democrats and the overwhelming majority of Americans, raising the minimum wage is a simple matter of fairness. Hardworking Americans should not be forced to live in poverty.

"Democrats believe it's time to take our great country in a New Direction. And, raising the minimum wage is one of our top priorities.

"We will not stop fighting on behalf of the hard working Americans who deserve a fair wage for their hard work."

http://democraticwhip.house.gov/in_the_news/press_releases/index.cfm?pressReleaseID=1469