H260 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2007 Texas, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Calvert, Mr. Altmire, Mr. Yarmuth, Mr. Hare, Ms. Clarke, provide for an increase in the Federal Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. Lucas, Mr. Courtney, Ms. Shea-Porter. minimum wage, and ask for its imme- Mrs. Biggert, Mr. Akin, Mr. Bonner, Mr. Mr. PALLONE (during the reading). diate consideration. Feeney, Mr. Neugebauer, Mr. Inglis of South Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent The Clerk read the title of the bill. Carolina, Mr. McCaul of Texas, Mr. Mario The text of the bill is as follows: Diaz-Balart of Florida, Mr. Gingrey, Mr. that the resolution be considered as Bilbray, and Mr. Smith of Nebraska. read and printed in the RECORD. H.R. 2 (12) COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS.—Mr. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. Graves, Mr. Akin, objection to the request of the gen- resentatives of the United States of America in Mr. Shuster, Mrs. Musgrave, Mr. King of tleman from New Jersey? Congress assembled, Iowa, Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. Westmoreland, There was no objection. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Heller of Nevada, Mr. The resolution was agreed to. This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fair Min- David Davis of Tennessee, Ms. Fallin, Mr. A motion to reconsider was laid on imum Wage Act of 2007’’. Buchanan, and Mr. Jordan. SEC. 2. MINIMUM WAGE. the table. (13) COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND IN- (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6(a)(1) of the Fair FRASTRUCTURE.—Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr. f Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. Petri, Mr. Coble, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Gilchrest, LIFTING MINIMUM WAGE 206(a)(1)) is amended to read as follows: Mr. Ehlers, Mr. LaTourette, Mr. Baker, Mr. WORKERS OUT OF POVERTY ‘‘(1) except as otherwise provided in this LoBiondo, Mr. Moran of Kansas, Mr. Gary G. section, not less than— Miller of California, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Brown of (Mr. WELCH of Vermont asked and ‘‘(A) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th South Carolina, Mr. Johnson of Illinois, Mr. was given permission to address the day after the date of enactment of the Fair Platts, Mr. Graves, Mr. Shuster, Mr. House for 1 minute.) Minimum Wage Act of 2007; Boozman, Mr. Gerlach, Mr. Mario Diaz- Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Speak- ‘‘(B) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months Balart of Florida, Mr. Marchant, Mr. Dent, er, $2.32 for a gallon of gas, $2.99 for a after that 60th day; and Mr. Poe, Mr. Reichert, Mr. Mack, Mr. Kuhl ‘‘(C) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months of New York, Mr. Westmoreland, Mr. gallon of milk, $20 or $25 for a single after that 60th day;’’. Boustany, Mrs. Schmidt, Mrs. Miller of day of childcare. These are real prices (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment Michigan, Mrs. Drake, Ms. Fallin, and Mr. and, too often, real choices that work- made by subsection (a) shall take effect 60 Buchanan. ing Americans face every day. days after the date of enactment of this Act. (14) COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS.—Mr. In Vermont, and across America, we SEC. 3. APPLICABILITY OF MINIMUM WAGE TO Stearns, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Moran of have had a proud tradition of self-reli- THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS. Kansas, Mr. Baker, Mr. Brown of South ance and sense of community. We need (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6 of the Fair Carolina, Mr. Miller of Florida, Mr. to combine these two values, self-reli- Boozman, Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida, Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206) Mr. Turner, Mr. Bilbray, Mr. Lamborn, and ance on the one hand and community shall apply to the Commonwealth of the Mr. Bilirakis. on the other, by rewarding work and Northern Mariana Islands. (b) TRANSITION.—Notwithstanding sub- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without making work pay. We send a message every day to our section (a), the minimum wage applicable to objection, further reading of the reso- citizens and our workers that we value the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana lution is dispensed with. work and that government has a role Islands under section 6(a)(1) of the Fair There was no objection. Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. to play in ensuring opportunity to ev- The resolution was agreed to. 206(a)(1)) shall be— eryone willing to contribute. It is time A motion to reconsider was laid on (1) $3.55 an hour, beginning on the 60th day we matched that message with our own the table. after the date of enactment of this Act; and leadership. (2) increased by $0.50 an hour (or such less- f It is no accident that in Vermont and er amount as may be necessary to equal the more than 20 States around the coun- minimum wage under section 6(a)(1) of such ELECTION OF MAJORITY MEM- Act), beginning 6 months after the date of BERS TO CERTAIN STANDING try, Republicans and Democrats, work- ing together, have led in the effort to enactment of this Act and every 6 months COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE thereafter until the minimum wage applica- reward work with a reasonable min- ble to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, by di- imum wage above our national min- rection of the Democratic Caucus, I Mariana Islands under this subsection is imum last set nearly a decade ago. equal to the minimum wage set forth in such offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 46) There are few more important tasks before section. and ask for its immediate consider- us than addressing the growing economic gap ation. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- between America’s wealthiest citizens and low The Clerk read the resolution, as fol- ant to section 508 of House Resolution income workers. lows: 6, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Last year, millionaires were given tax breaks HOYER) and the gentleman from Ohio H. RES. 46 that put an average of $40,000 in their pock- (Mr. BOEHNER) each will control 90 Resolved, That the following named Mem- ets, and yet middle class workers who earn minutes. bers and Delegate be and are hereby elected less than $20,000 received just two dollars. The Chair recognizes the distin- to the following standing committees of the Two dollars—for the whole year. That is re- House of Representatives: guished majority leader, the gentleman (1) COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES.—Mr. warding wealth rather than work. from Maryland. Spratt, Mr. Ortiz, Mr. Taylor of Mississippi, Today a full-time minimum wage worker Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Reyes, earns just $10,712 annually—more than self such time as I may consume. Mr. Snyder, Mr. Smith of Washington, Ms. $2,000 below the poverty line for a family of Mr. Speaker, I am extraordinarily Loretta Sanchez of California, Mr. McIntyre, two. Asking millions of our neighbors to work happy to rise in support of this legisla- Mrs. Tauscher, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, full time without a wage above poverty is tion. This legislation is very late in Mr. Andrews, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. wrong. coming to this floor as a free-standing Langevin, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. I believe that Congress must raise the fed- bill. It is, however, never too late to do Cooper, Mr. Marshall, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. the right thing. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Boren, Mr. Ellsworth, eral minimum wage to $7.25 an hour to help Ms. Boyda of Kansas, Mr. Patrick Murphy of life every minimum wage worker out of pov- This legislation, the Fair Minimum Pennsylvania, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. erty. Wage Act of 2007, is long overdue. I be- Shea-Porter, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Loebsack, Today and together, we can begin to restore lieve it will pass this House today with Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Sestak, Ms. Giffords, a balance, by rewarding work and not just broad bipartisan support, as the 9/11 Ms. Castor. wealth, acknowledging we are all in this to- bill did yesterday, making our country (2) COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR.— gether. safer. Mr. Kildee, Mr. Payne, Mr. Andrews, Mr. f At long last, Mr. Speaker, this House Scott of Virginia, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Hinojosa, is just hours away from finally passing Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Tierney, FAIR MINIMUM WAGE ACT OF 2007 a clean increase in the Federal min- Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Wu, Mr. Holt, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant imum wage and sending this legislation Grijalva, Mr. Bishop of New York, Ms. Linda to section 508 of House Resolution 6, I to the Senate, where we devoutly hope T. Sa´ nchez of California, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. call up the bill (H.R. 2) to amend the the Members of the other body will do Sestak, Mr. Loebsack, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to the same without delay.

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 10, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H261 H.R. 2 is the second key piece of leg- 1997, the economy was having one of its The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without islation in the new Democratic major- most successful periods of time, which objection, the gentleman from Cali- ity’s 100-hours agenda, and we are fol- continued long past the adoption of the fornia will be permitted to control the lowing through on our pledge to the minimum wage. In fact, according to time. American people to immediately ad- one recent study, small business em- There was no objection. dress these critical issues. ployment grew more in States with a Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, as the There is probably not a Member of higher minimum wage between 1997 minority leader’s designee, I claim the this House who fails to appreciate that and 2003 than in Federal minimum time in opposition. an American who works full time at to- wage States. In other words, in those The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- day’s minimum wage of $5.15 per hour States that were paying above the $5.15 tleman from California is recognized. is essentially living in poverty. That is an hour, their economies grew more Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield not right, Mr. Speaker. That worker, if and they created more jobs than did myself such time as I may consume. he or she works 40 hours per week for those States which had frozen their Mr. Speaker, this debate represents a 52 weeks, makes roughly $10,700 per minimum wage at the Federal min- series of colossal missed opportunities. year. If that mom has a child or that imum wage. The new Democratic leadership of the father has a wife and a child, they are In fact, Lee Scott, the chief execu- House promised us and the voters a essentially living on $6,000 less than we tive officer of Wal-Mart, has stated fair, open, honest, and, yes, democratic determine to be poverty in America. that the current minimum wage ‘‘is process in considering major pieces of Passing this legislation today, which out of date with the times. We can see legislation. Instead, today we are stuck will raise the minimum wage by $2.10 firsthand at Wal-Mart how many of our with unfair, closed and heavy-handed per hour to $7.25 in three steps over the customers are struggling to get by. Our terms for our debate, terms that were next 2 years, is simply a matter of customers simply don’t have the tucked into an unrelated rules package doing what is right, what is just and money to buy basic necessities between less than a week ago. what is fair. paychecks.’’ Not only was that move unprece- Frankly, Mr. Speaker, if it were up Now, what is Wal-Mart all about? dented, but it also means that during to me, I would do $7.25 an hour now. Wal-Mart is about bringing prices today’s debate on a minimum wage in- But we are going to phase this in so down. It is very controversial how they crease, what you see is what you get. that small businesses and others can do it, but the fact is they know their No comprehensive alternative has been accommodate this raise. But that will consumers cannot buy even discounted allowed. No amendments will be con- mean, Mr. Speaker, that those on the necessities of life on the minimum sidered. In fact, I didn’t even get a minimum wage will still have to wait. wage. chance for those types of consider- It has been 9 years and 4 months Mr. Speaker, you and I know that in ations before the Rules Committee be- since the last increase in the Federal the richest Nation on the face of the cause, well, the Rules Committee minimum wage took effect, and that Earth, that is wrong. didn’t meet on this issue. There was no was under President Clinton. This rep- In a bipartisan way, and I haven’t hearing. resents the longest period without an counted the Republican votes, but we That is unfortunate because, frankly, increase since Congress established the are going to get a lot of Republican there are Members on both sides of the minimum wage in 1938, since Congress votes from those who are saying to the aisle who support a balanced minimum said we are going to have a minimum American people, as we are, we agree wage increase, and this bill, this early in the United States that we will pay with you. Because 89 percent of the in the Congress, represented an oppor- people and respect people who work to American people, when questioned, be- tunity to work together toward a true, make themselves, their families and lieve the minimum wage ought to be bipartisan, bicameral consensus. But their country better. raised. Eighty-nine percent of the we won’t, and that is a colossal missed At $5.15 today, the minimum wage American people. And, Mr. Speaker, 83 opportunity. level is at its lowest level, adjusted for percent of small businesses say this My colleagues will remember that inflation, in over 50 years, half a cen- will not adversely affect them. last summer the Republican majority tury. In fact, Mr. Speaker, if the min- Mr. Speaker, it is time to pass this brought forward and passed legislation imum wage had been adjusted by a cost legislation. Sixty-four House Repub- to increase the Federal minimum wage of living increase on an annual basis licans joined all Democrats here last to $7.25 an hour with important consid- since 1968, a minimum wage worker July in voting for a $7.25 per hour wage erations for small businesses and their would not be making $5.15, would not under the vocational education bill. workers. Many Democrats joined us in be making $7.25, but would be making There is simply no reason, I suggest advancing the measure. In fact, had a $9.05. So, effectively, this raise will be to you, not to support this legislation. few more on the other side of the Cap- $1.85 less than they would be making if In the United States of America, the itol supported this measure, today’s de- it had been raised on a regular basis. richest country on the face of the bate would be unnecessary because the Meanwhile, just since 2000, the cost Earth, you should not be relegated to minimum wage increase would already of health insurance, gasoline, home poverty if you work hard and play by have taken place. heating, attending college, food and the rules. Nonetheless, I was hopeful that when other related expenses have all in- I urge my colleagues on both sides of we considered minimum wage legisla- creased, in fact, for an average family, the aisle to support this reasonable bi- tion under the new Democratic major- about $5,000 a year in that period of partisan legislation. The President of ity we would again do so with our Na- time. Yet the minimum wage worker the United States has indicated that he tion’s small businesses and their work- has not received any raise. will sign a minimum wage increase. ers in mind, particularly since both the This legislation will benefit literally There may be some changes that he President and the Senate majority millions of Americans. An estimated wants, but he has recognized, as we leader have indicated their willingness 5.6 million Americans who make less will recognize today, that it is long to forge such a consensus. But it is ap- than $7.25 per hour will directly benefit past the time when we need to pay peo- parent that we are not here on this side from this increase. An estimated addi- ple and give them the dignity that of the Capitol, and that is a colossal tional 7.3 million Americans, including their work demands and has earned. missed opportunity. So later in this de- family members of those making less Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous con- bate I will offer a motion to recommit than $7.25, will indirectly benefit. sent that I be allowed to yield the bal- that would provide them the very pro- ance of my time to the gentleman from tections that the Democratic leader- b 1045 California (Mr. GEORGE MILLER), who ship’s bill does not. Now there are those who will claim has been the leader on this issue in the Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, my friend, this legislation will hurt small busi- House of Representatives and one of the ranking Republican member on the ness and the economy. I reject that. I the leaders in the country and who Ways and Means Committee, Mr. believe history shows that that is not chairs the Education and Labor Com- MCCRERY from Louisiana, and I intro- the case. In fact, when we raised it in mittee. duced minimum wage legislation that,

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE H262 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2007 quite frankly, puts the bill before us Small businesses create two-thirds of Human Services bill, where the Repub- today to shame. It is a three-pronged the Nation’s new jobs, and 98 percent of licans chose not to bring the bill to the measure that includes the same, the the new businesses in the U.S. are floor of the Congress, not to bring it to same, minimum wage provisions that small businesses. Increasing the min- a vote because they wanted to deny are in the Democratic leadership’s bill. imum wage increases costs for small American workers access to the min- As you can see on the chart, here is employers, and often they may be imum wage. the unbalanced Democratic plan. It forced to respond by reducing their I consider this a new beginning and a does raise the minimum wage. Then number of workers, scaling back bene- new Congress, but I must say I cannot the comprehensive Republican plan. It fits or hiring fewer new employees. let the history that the gentleman also raises the minimum wage from Given that small employers are re- from California laid out for us to sug- $5.15 to $7.25 per hour over the 2 years, sponsible for most of the new jobs in gest that that is the record. The gen- in precisely the same increments as the our Nation, and practically every new tleman has said numerous times in his Democrat leadership’s bill. business, why would we do anything to opening statement that this is a colos- Also identical to the Democrat lead- endanger their momentum? Well, you sal missed opportunity. Let me tell you ership bill, the Working Families Wage would have to ask the Democratic lead- what a colossal missed opportunity is. and Access to Health Care Act that we ership, because that is exactly what For the last 10 years, the Republican offered yesterday would extend the their proposal would do. By offering leadership in this House fought tooth Federal minimum wage to the Com- small businesses and their workers im- and nail to avoid any, any opportunity monwealth of the Northern Mariana Is- portant protections, the Working Fam- to have an up-or-down vote on the min- lands. We don’t stop there, however. ilies Wage and Access to Health Care imum wage. The only time they But the Democrat leadership does, an- Act would protect American jobs. The thought the poorest workers in Amer- other colossal missed opportunity. House Democratic leadership’s scaled- ica were worth an increase in the min- As you can see, the Working Families down minimum wage proposal will not. imum wage was if they could tie it to Wage and Access to Health Care Act A colossal missed opportunity. a tax cut for the wealthiest people in not only increases the minimum wage Mr. Speaker, only the Republican-led the United States. in the same exact manner as H.R. 2, Working Families Wage and Access to b 1100 but it also would expand access to af- Health Care Act will both raise the fordable health care for working fami- minimum wage and protect small busi- So they never really were interested lies, including many families that may nesses and their workers. And only the in it. They wanted to use the power of benefit from the wage increase. The Republican-led Working Families Wage the sense of fairness that the American Democratic leadership’s scaled-down and Access to Health Care Act will public had about the treatment of the proposal does not include this. both raise the minimum wage and ex- poorest workers. They wanted to use For the last several Congresses, Re- pand access to affordable health care that power, that sense of outrage, that publicans and Democrats alike have for working families. sense of immorality that they had joined together behind legislation that Unfortunately, due to unfair, closed, about what the Republicans were would significantly expand access to and heavy-handed tactics, only the doing, to drive tax cuts for the wealthi- health coverage for uninsured families scaled-down Democrat leadership plan est people in the country. across the country by creating Small is before us today. A colossal missed They said they were going to pass the Business Health Plans. opportunity, not just for the House but bill and send it to the President’s desk. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, for working families and small busi- We said it was going to die in the Sen- the number of Americans who have no nesses as well. ate, and it died in the Senate. And here health insurance is about 46.5 million. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of today we see the same proposal being Estimates indicate 60 percent or more my time. made. They are going to suggest that of the working uninsured work for or Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. later today they are going to couple depend upon small employers who lack Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time minimum wage with the wonderful the ability to provide health benefits as I may consume. health care plan for workers. for their workers. To ease the burden (Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California Their own CBO, the Congressional on small businesses and provide mean- asked and was given permission to re- Budget Office, says that more than 75 ingful benefits to those who work for vise and extend his remarks.) percent of the small business workers, them, the Working Families Wage and Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. over 20 million workers and their de- Access to Health Care Act would allow Mr. Speaker, when Speaker PELOSI pendents, would see their health insur- small businesses to join together and spoke about the first 100 hours of the ance premiums increase as a result of purchase quality health care for work- 110th Congress, one of the things she this proposal. So now they are going to ers and their families at a lower cost. said she wanted to accomplish was to give these workers an increase in the Now, during today’s debate, we are begin to make the economy fairer for minimum wage, but then they are likely to hear from our colleagues on all Americans. Today, with this legisla- going to increase their premiums for the other side of the aisle about how a tion to increase the minimum wage, we health insurance. What a wonderful certain percentage of the American begin that task. gift from the Republican Party. people support a minimum wage in- For 10 years, the lowest-paid workers Can’t you just give these workers an crease. By the same token, my col- in America have been frozen out of the increase and be done with it? They leagues also should be aware that a economy of this country. They have have been working at a 10-year-old whopping 93 percent of Americans sup- ended up every year, after going to minimum wage, but they are paying port creating small business health work every day, every week, every 2007 bread prices and milk prices and plans; and 36 members of their own month, they have ended up poor, far energy prices and rentals. Where is the Democratic caucus supported them in below the poverty line of this country. decency? Where is the decency to give the 109th Congress. Doing so again dur- They have been working at a Federal these workers what they are entitled ing this debate would not only be log- poverty wage, not a Federal minimum to, what everybody knows that they ical but it would be welcome news for wage. should have? scores of uninsured working families. I am very honored today to be here Not only that, but then we find out But the Democratic leadership’s bill supporting this legislation as the with this wonderful health plan that won’t allow for it, and our bill simply chairman of the Education and Labor some 8 million workers who are cur- isn’t allowed at all. A colossal missed Committee. I am also very honored to rently insured will probably lose their opportunity. be sharing this legislation with our insurance. So now they are going to, if Finally, as you can see, only the new majority leader, Mr. HOYER. Be- you get insurance, they are going to in- Working Families Wage and Access to cause of his activities in the last Con- crease the premiums. If you have insur- Health Care Act includes a number of gress, we were able to bring this issue ance, you may lose your insurance. other important considerations for to a head because of the amendment This isn’t what America thinks small businesses and their workers. that he offered on the Health and makes the economy fair. What they

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 10, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H263 think makes the economy fair is an in- I am proud to say that, on this legis- As we consider an increase in the crease in the minimum wage. lation, H.R. 2, its over 200 original co- minimum wage, we must consider the As you all know, this is the longest sponsors, and I am very proud to say impact it will have on businesses that period in history of law without a wage we are joined by seven Republican create two-thirds of our Nation’s new increase. During that time, the min- Members who are original cosponsors jobs. I was proud to support Mr. imum wage has dropped to its lowest of this legislation, and I want to thank MCKEON and Mr. MCCRERY’s Working buying power in 51 years. The Fair so many of those Republicans who Families Wage and Access to Health Minimum Wage Act of 2007 would in- worked over the years to try to get us Care legislation, which advances this crease the Federal minimum wage to this vote on the minimum wage, but we discussion and also offers meaningful $7.25 an hour over three steps over the weren’t successful. Today is the oppor- measures that will benefit those em- next 2 years. tunity to bring these two sides of the ployers who bear the brunt of any min- Raising the minimum wage is crit- aisle together, to begin to make this imum wage increase. If we don’t sup- ical to fighting the middle-class economy fair and to help these people port them, the cruel irony of any min- squeeze in this country. Fifty-nine per- who struggle every day in very difficult imum wage increase will be a loss of cent of American workers state that jobs, to do the right thing, to partici- jobs. they have to work harder to earn a de- pate in the American economy and to Independent studies confirm that the cent living than they did 20 or 30 years provide for their families. But they are proposal by the House Democrats to ago. Since 2001, the median household not able to do it at a 10-year-old min- raise the minimum wage without in- incomes have fallen by $1,300. Wages imum wage, and we need to bring that cluding considerations for those who and salaries make up the lowest share kind of equity to it. pay the minimum wage and their work- of the economy in nearly six decades. We are joined in support of this legis- ers would halt the momentum of recent Meanwhile, corporate profits, CEO lation by over 500 national and local economic growth dead in its tracks. buyouts, golden parachutes, golden organizations, by over 1,000 Christian, According to a Federal Reserve econo- handshakes and golden hellos take Jewish and Muslim faith leaders who mist, as many as one million workers hundreds of millions, if not billions, of have spoken out on this legislation, by in the restaurant industry alone could dollars out of the same corporations the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops lose their jobs under this current pro- that say they can’t give an increase to who wrote: ‘‘For us it is a matter of posal. their workers. simple justice for a decent society.’’ Recently, my office received a phone While the economy is growing and And that is what this is about today. call from Mr. John Wiederholt, the the wealth of its Nation is increasing, This is more than just the dollars owner of Wiederholt’s Supper Club in more Americans are struggling to pay and cents per hour. This is about the Miesville, Minnesota, a wonderful little their bills. Over the last 5 years, the morality of this country. This is about community of 135 people located in the number of Americans living in poverty the ethics of this body on whether or heart of my district. Miesville is has increased from 5.4 million to 37 not these people who have been stuck known for amateur baseball, a historic million. One in six children now lives at this wage for 10 years are entitled to hamburger joint and Wiederholt’s. in poverty. Since 2000, prices of education, gaso- have this modest, modest increase, and The Democrats scaled-down proposal line and health care have all greatly I would hope that the House would would cost Mr. Wiederholt’s charming outpaced inflation. Raising the min- overwhelmingly support this clean vote supper club nearly $2,000 a year. He imum wage is an important first step on the minimum wage increase over says: ‘‘I’ve been at this 34 years. If this for the Congress in its efforts to stand the next 2 years to $7.25. passes, because my waitresses get tips up for middle class and to stem the Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of already, they just walked into my middle-class squeeze. This raise will my time. place and gave the highest-paid people make a real, critical difference to mil- Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 in my place a raise.’’ lions of people’s lives, and that is what minutes to the gentleman from Min- Throughout the country, there are America understands. You pass the nesota (Mr. KLINE), a member of the tens of thousands of stories just like minimum wage, and you dramatically committee. Mr. Wiederholt’s. Small businesses are Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Mr. Speak- change life for millions of people. the backbone of the American econ- Does it solve their economic prob- er, the tax relief and fiscal policies omy. It is absolutely essential that lems? Does it solve the economic passed in recent years by, frankly, Congress keeps these creators of jobs in stress? No, it doesn’t. But it changes House Republicans, provide a track mind when we consider this legislation. their lives. For a family of three, in- record of proactive and successful eco- We must make sure a minimum wage creasing the minimum wage will mean nomic reform. As we take our first increase does not have harmful effects an additional $4,400 a year, equaling 15 steps in the 110th Congress, we must on businesses and their ability to fos- months of groceries or 2 years’ worth build upon that record and ensure that ter job growth and provide benefits for of health care. That is a change in the any minimum wage increase includes working families. standing of these people’s lives. meaningful considerations for Amer- Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Raising the minimum wage to $7.25 ica’s small businesses, while protecting Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the an hour in 2009, taking into account and expanding benefits for working gentleman from Indiana (Mr. DON- the increases in family earned income families that depend upon them. NELLY). tax credit will take those people who Less than a week ago, the Labor De- Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise are 11 percent below the poverty level partment announced the creation of today in strong support of H.R. 2, the line and move them to 5 percent above 167,000 new jobs in December. We have Fair Minimum Wage Act, because it is the poverty line. Still close to the pov- experienced more than 3 years of unin- long past due that we provide a pay erty line but beginning to make this terrupted job growth that includes the raise to many of our country’s hardest economy fair. creation of more than seven million workers. It is important that we pass this leg- new jobs since August, 2003. Worker Today is a good day for the House, islation and we pass it free standing. It wages have risen more than 150 percent and it is a good day for American is important that we do that so we can faster than in the early 1990s. Per cap- workers. I thank Chairman MILLER for address the needs of these families, not ita disposable income has risen over 9 introducing a bill whose time has that we hijack their plight, not that we percent since 2001. come. hijack their misery, not that we hijack Let’s not stop the momentum we Mr. Speaker, a decent job, with fair the willingness of the American people have built together. Let’s not pass a pay, is a cornerstone of the foundation to do something for them to then do minimum wage increase without keep- upon which the American Dream is something that works against them. ing employers in mind. Let’s not fall built. As our minimum wage, it serves This is very, very important, this piece into the temptation of passing a bill as a yardstick by which to measure of legislation, and it is important that that is nothing more than symbolism, other workers’ pay. we address the concerns of these indi- lacking the necessary substance to Fair wages make it possible for work- viduals. help our economy continue to grow. ing families to pay the rent, put food

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE H264 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2007 on the table and save for the future, a nomic ladder in America and, instead, economic ladder in America. For those home and college. Yet, for our min- be condemned to a life of poverty. This who feel that they want to help the imum wage workers facing the rising should not happen in America. poor over and above what we are al- costs of gasoline, health care, child Mr. Speaker, I recently spoke to a ready doing, I would remind them that, care, rent and heating their home, $5.15 number of people who create jobs and by and large, the working poor qualify is just not enough. hope and opportunity in America, good for health care through Medicaid, Mr. Speaker, we haven’t provided a solid citizens from the Fifth Congres- through subsidies, through food pay raise for minimum wage workers sional District of Texas. I heard from stamps, housing subsidies through sec- in 10 years, the longest period without David Hinds, the owner of Van Tone tion 8 vouchers, energy assistance adjustment since enactment of the Created Flavors of Terrell, Texas. His through LIHEAP, cash assistance Fair Labor Standards Act. Adjusted for company employs over 25 people in this through Earned Income Tax Credit, inflation, its buying power is the low- community in my district. But he says, TANF, and the list goes on and on and est it has been in 51 years. if we pass this increase in the min- on. Adequate wages create a stronger, imum wage, he is going to have to lay In fact, Mr. Speaker, there has been more efficient work force. And I know off three, maybe four of his employees an explosion of anti-poverty spending the great majority of small business and automate his plant to use less at the Federal level under President owners pay their workers more than labor. Bush, up 39 percent between the years the minimum wage. In fact, in the 4 I heard from Kevin and Jeaneane 2001 and 2005. So contrary to the pro- years following the last minimum wage Lilly. Kevin was a guy who started out test of the other side of the aisle, there increase, small business employment at McDonald’s years ago frying up the is a lot of direct government assistance grew more in those States paying a french fries. He now owns 10 McDon- here. We need to remind people again higher minimum wage than in those ald’s restaurants. He says, if the Demo- that any wage rate is better than no States paying only the minimum wage. crats act today to increase the min- wage rate. Paying good wages is good business imum wage, they will be forced to lay The pool of minimum wage workers sense. off all of their part-time workers and is constantly changing, and as they Mr. Speaker, increasing the min- use only full-time workers. learn new skills, they prove themselves imum wage is good economic policy, it I spoke to Larry Peterson, who has a and they climb up the economic oppor- is good social policy, and, most impor- small business called EmbroidMe in tunity ladder. Why do we want to deny tantly, the people in my district in In- Dallas, Texas. He says, instead of hir- them this opportunity? diana think it is just fair. It is time ing three to four people at the current Mr. Speaker, I have some personal that this body ensures that all Amer- minimum wage, he is going to have to experience here because I was in high ican workers are compensated fairly do with one to two higher paid, more school in May of 1974, when Congress and can share in the prosperity of the highly skilled people, denying those promised me a pay raise. I was the bell- American economy. other two people their rung on the eco- man at the Holiday Inn in College Sta- I urge my colleagues to support our nomic ladder. tion, Texas, trying to put some money workforce and pass H.R. 2. together to go to college. I worked my b 1115 Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 way through college. minutes to the gentleman from Texas Mr. Speaker, these are just a few sto- But when Congress gave me that pay (Mr. HENSARLING), the chairman of the ries from one congressional district in raise, guess what? I got my pink slip. RSC committee. Texas, but these stories are going to be That Holiday Inn was struggling. They Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, in replicated all over America if we pass had to lay off the two newest employ- America, we can either have maximum this law. ees they had to make ends meet. This opportunity or we can have minimum Now, the proponents of this law say causes unemployment. This should be wages. We cannot have both. In the somehow it is necessary, because we voted down. land of the free, in a Nation as great as have to force employers to pay fair Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. ours, how can we deny people their wages. Yet I know, Mr. Speaker, that Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. maximum opportunity, their oppor- 99 percent of all Americans have their I say, it is an interesting discussion tunity to secure the American Dream? wages set by free people negotiating in from the other side of the aisle. It just Well, apparently, our Democrat col- a competitive marketplace. doesn’t comport with the evidence that leagues can, because, for thousands, In other words, without any inter- we have in States that have passed a they will now replace the American ference by Congress whatsoever 99 per- higher minimum wage than the Fed- Dream of boundless career opportuni- cent of all people in the workforce were eral minimum wage. They have experi- ties instead with the nightmare of wel- able to find work above the minimum enced higher job growth than those fare dependence. wage. Do we not believe in the Amer- States with the low minimum wage. Columnist George Will recently ican free enterprise system anymore? Overall, retail job growth between 1998 wrote that increasing the minimum The proponents also say we must raise and 2006 was 10.2 percent in those wage is ‘‘a bad idea whose time has the minimum wage to help the poor, States with a higher minimum wage come.’’ And, unfortunately, Mr. Speak- but by and large the minimum wage and only 3.7 percent in the Federal er, apparently that time has come. workers aren’t poor. Less than one in minimum wage States. What is the purpose? Notwith- five lives below the poverty line. The Overall across all sectors it was 30 standing the rhetoric that we hear average family income of a minimum percent greater. The fact of the matter today, the purpose of this law is really wage worker is about $40,000 a year. is, an increase in the minimum wage is to protect skilled labor from the com- Very few minimum wage workers, in- helping the economy grow. petition of unskilled labor. We under- deed, support a family. Instead, the Mr. Speaker, I yield for 2 minutes to stand the elections are over. The Amer- majority are teenagers. They are col- the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. ican people have spoken. But, appar- lege students, and many are part-time ANDREWS), a member of the committee ently, now labor union bosses are col- workers. who has been battling this issue long lecting their chits. In fact, the problem is that many and hard. Now, what is the effect of this law? poor people either cannot work or will (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given Indeed, I admit, some will have a man- not work. Over three-fifths of the indi- permission to revise and extend his re- dated pay raise in America. Those will viduals below the poverty line did not marks.) be the lucky ones. Many more will work in 2005. Only 11 percent work full Mr. ANDREWS. I thank my friend for have their hours cut, Mr. Speaker. time. yielding. Many will have their benefits cut due An increase in the minimum wage is Mr. Speaker, nearly 10 years ago, I to this law, and many will lose their going to do very little to help poor peo- sat on this floor and listened to speech- jobs. And again, thousands, thousands ple who either cannot work or will not es like the one my friend from Texas will be denied that opportunity to work. The way to help poor people is just gave, and we voted to raise the climb on that first rung of the eco- not to cut off the bottom rung of the minimum wage. And what happened?

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 10, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H265 Unemployment went down. The econ- House were given the opportunity to today. It would accelerate it from the omy grew. And America prospered. It vote on it. end of this year 2007 to April 1 of 2007. will happen again if we pass this in- The minimum wage provisions would As you know, that surtax, that .2 sur- crease in the minimum wage. There be the same as in the underlying legis- tax is imposed only on the first $7,000 have been many days since that day lation that is on the floor today. It of wages, so it would most directly give nearly 10 years ago. One of those days would increase the minimum wage relief to those employers who have when the prescription drug bill was on from $5.15 to $7.25 over 2 years in three those low-skilled, low-dollar employ- the floor, the industry came, and it increments. But it would add to that a ees, and would give them some imme- wanted special protection from law- provision from the Education and diate relief in that regard. suits and special pricing. It was their Labor Committee regarding associa- Mr. Speaker, our proposal is to in- day, and they got it. tion health plans that would make it crease the minimum wage, but also When the energy bill was on the easier for small businesses to get give help to those businesses that will floor, the energy companies came in health insurance for their employees, be most adversely affected by the im- and wanted massive subsidies, and no and three tax provisions designed to position of these increased costs for crackdown on pricing. It was their day, help small businesses cope with the their businesses. and they got it. burden that would be placed on them Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of When the tax bill was on the floor, by an increase in the minimum wage. my time. the wealthiest people in the country, Those three tax provisions are a 1- Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. people making more than $300,000 a year extension of the higher small Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the year wanted massive tax breaks. It was business expensing limits. As you will gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. CARNEY), who has been a long-time their day, and they got it. recall, we passed in the last few years I am sorry to disappoint the oppo- legislation allowing small businesses champion of increasing the minimum wage. nents of the minimum wage, but this is to expense up to $100,000 of investment Mr. CARNEY. I would like to thank not your day. This is the day for the in their small business in the year of my colleague from California for the people who empty the bed pans, change that investment. That provision cur- time. the bed linens, sweep the floors, and do rently is scheduled to expire at the end Mr. Speaker, today the House will the hardest work of America. After a of 2009. This legislation, this alter- vote for bipartisan legislation aimed at 10-year wait, even though they don’t native that we would like to present increasing the minimum wage and have the lobbyists here, even though today, would extend that provision 1 making an important change for the they don’t have the political action year through 2010. families of nearly 13 million American committees here, this is their day. The next tax provision that would workers. This is the day we are going to raise help small businesses is a 15-year de- It is unconscionable, Mr. Speaker, the minimum wage, change the direc- preciation period for new restaurant that the minimum wage has remained tion of the country, and restore eco- construction. unchanged for nearly 10 years. During nomic fairness for the American econ- Now, that is important because cur- the past decade, consumer costs have omy. Join with Republicans and Demo- rent law allows a much shorter depre- skyrocketed. Energy, health care and crats and independents across this ciation period, 15 years, for leasehold education costs have all risen, while country. Vote ‘‘yes’’ on the increase in improvements, including restaurants, my constituents have seen their real the minimum wage. but it has to be improvements to an ex- incomes drop. Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 isting building. In the restaurant busi- It is wrong that millions of Ameri- minutes to the gentleman from Lou- ness, a lot of times to keep up with the cans work full time and year around isiana (Mr. MCCRERY), the ranking competition and to keep market share, and still live in poverty. I am voting to member on the Ways and Means Com- an owner will have to build a new facil- give them a raise, a raise that is long mittee. ity. You can’t just refurbish the old fa- overdue. I ask unanimous consent that he be cility. You have got to build a new This bill will increase the minimum allowed to control that time. building to keep pace. wage by $2.10 an hour over 2 years. This The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Under the current law though, he will mean an additional $4,400 for a objection to the request of the gen- would have to depreciate that invest- family of three equaling 15 months’ tleman from California? ment over 39 years. This provision worth of groceries or 2 years’ worth of There was no objection. would put him on an equal standing health care. Helping them to keep up Mr. MCCRERY. Thank you, Mr. with those who just recently built a with the rising costs of these neces- MCKEON, for allowing the Ways and restaurant and are upgrading it with sities is something that we have the Means Committee to control 30 min- improvements. moral obligation to do. utes of the time in this debate. So it would give a 15-year deprecia- As the father of five, I understand, I Mr. Speaker, I yield myself so much tion period, both to leasehold improve- keenly understand the impact of rising time as I may consume. ments for existing buildings, existing costs on a tight family budget. This debate today is important. It is restaurants, but also a 15-year depre- Raising the minimum wage is the first step obviously important to a lot of people ciation period for the construction of to a stronger economy for all Americans, not around the country who are making new restaurants. just for the privileged few. Our action today minimum wage or who would seek an Finally, the third tax provision that will make a real difference in the lives of entry-level job in our country. It is we would add to this legislation to help America’s working families and I am proud to also important, though, to many small small businesses would be the FUTA vote for it, and I respectfully urge my col- businesses around our Nation who are surtax repeal, that is the unemploy- leagues to stand with our working families, as struggling to stay in business, strug- ment payroll tax. Back in the 1970s, well. gling to create jobs, and to face the when we were having problems with Mr. MCCRERY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 competition often from much bigger our unemployment trust fund, and we minutes to a member of the Ways and establishments that have some advan- were extending unemployment benefits Means Committee, the gentleman from tages in the marketplace. It is those across the Nation, we had to impose a California (Mr. HERGER). small businesses that the McKeon- surtax to bring money into the system Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in McCrery alternative would address to be able to pay the unemployment opposition to the minimum wage in- today. If we are given the chance today bills around the country. That debt crease. Not only is this legislation det- to modify the legislation before us to though was paid off in the 1980s, and for rimental to small business growth and include some benefits for small busi- whatever reason, Congress has decided job creation, but it has been brought to nesses, in our view this would greatly to continually extend that unemploy- the floor outside the normal com- improve the legislation before us re- ment surtax. mittee review process without the abil- garding the minimum wage. This bill would accelerate the expira- ity to consider an alternative. Let me just briefly explain what that tion of that .2 percent unemployment I have long stood against minimum alternative would be if Members of this surtax that employers have to pay wage hikes, which increase government

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE H266 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2007 interference in the labor market. The value of the 1997 increase in the fed- vania; Robert M. Anderson University of Economists agree that when the cost of eral minimum wage has been fully eroded. California—Berkeley; Bahreinian Aniss Cali- labor increases, it becomes more dif- The real value of today’s federal minimum fornia State University—Sacramento; Kate ficult for employers to hire new work- wage is less than it has been since 1951. Antonovics University of California—San Moreover, the ratio of the minimum wage to Diego; Eileen Appelbaum Rutgers Univer- ers. the average hourly wage of non-supervisory sity; David D. Arsen Michigan State Univer- b 1130 workers is 31 percent, its lowest level since sity; Michael Ash University of Massachu- setts—Amherst; Glen Atkinson University of Unfortunately, the burden of wage World War II. This decline is causing hard- ship for low-wage workers and their families. Nevada—Reno; Rose-Marie Avin University increases falls on small businesses We believe that a modest increase in the of Wisconsin—Eau Claire; M.V. Lee Badgett which produce an estimated two-thirds minimum wage would improve the well- University of Massachusetts—Amherst; of all new jobs in the United States. being of low-wage workers and would not Aniss Bahreinian Sacramento City College; Minimum wage job seekers, often first- have the adverse effects that critics have Ron Baiman Loyola University Chicago; time employees looking to get their claimed. In particular, we share the view the Asatar Bair City College of San Francisco; Katie Baird University of Washington—Ta- foot in the door, are most harmed by Council of Economic Advisors expressed in the 1999 Economic Report of the President coma; Dean Baker Center for Economic and such increases. It is troubling that this Policy Research; Radhika Balakrishnan bill gives no thought to softening the that ‘‘the weight of the evidence suggests that modest increases in the minimum wage Marymount Manhattan College; Stephen E. financial impact of our engines of new have had very little or no effect on employ- Baldwin KRA Corporation; Erol Balkan job growth when we could easily com- ment.’’ While controversy about the precise Hamilton College; Jennifer Ball Washburn bine a wage increase with tax relief to employment effects of the minimum wage University; Brad Barham University of Wis- help small businesses stay competitive continues, research has shown that most of consin—Madison; Drucilla K. Barker Hollins College; David Barkin Universidad the beneficiaries are adults, most are female, and keep our economy growing. Autonoma Metropolitana; James N. Baron and the vast majority are members of low-in- One provision not included in the Yale University; Chuck Barone Dickinson minimum wage bill would extend small come working families. As economists who are concerned about College; Christopher B. Barrett Cornell Uni- businesses expensing. Over the last few versity; Richard Barrett University of Mon- the problems facing low-wage workers, we tana; Laurie J. Bassi McBassi & Company; years, Congress has increased the ex- believe the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2005’s Francis M. Bator Harvard University; Rose- pensing limit which allows firms to proposed phased-in increase in the federal mary Batt Cornell University; Sandy Baum write off equipment purchases imme- minimum wage to $7.25 falls well within the diately. This allows small businesses to Skidmore College; Amanda Bayer range of options where the benefits to the Swarthmore College; Sohrab Behdad Denison expand faster and hire new workers. I labor market, workers, and the overall econ- University; Peter F. Bell State University of continue to support a permanent ex- omy would be positive. New York—Purchase; Dale L. Belman Michi- Twenty-two states and the District of Co- tension of this provision. Without ex- gan State University; Michael Belzer Wayne tension, expensing will soon revert lumbia have set their minimum wages above State University; Lourdes Beneria Cornell the federal level. Arizona, Colorado, Mis- University; Barbara R. Bergmann American from its current $100,000 back to $25,000. souri, Montana, Nevada and Ohio, are consid- Other relief not permitted in this is University and University of Maryland; Eli ering similar measures. As with a federal in- Berman University of California—San Diego; the elimination of the unnecessary 2 crease, modest increases in state minimum percent unemployment surtax. I joined Alexandra Bernasek Colorado State Univer- wages in the range of $1.00 to $2.50 and index- sity; Jared Bernstein Economic Policy Insti- my friend JIM MCCRERY in the 109th ing to protect against inflation can signifi- tute; Michael Bernstein University of Cali- Congress to end the surtax and stimu- cantly improve the lives of low-income fornia—San Diego; Charles L. Betsey Howard late job creation and higher wages for workers and their families, without the ad- University; David M. Betson University of those same workers who might lose verse effects that critics have claimed. Notre Dame; Carole Biewener Simmons Col- jobs due to a minimum wage hike. LEADING ECONOMISTS ENDORSE THIS lege; Sherrilyn Billger Illinois State Univer- Finally, discounting relief from the STATEMENT sity; Richard E. Bilsborrow University of 41 percent minimum wage increase, the Henry Aaron, The Brookings Institution; North Carolina—Chapel Hill; Cyrus Bina bill ignores other side effects, such as Kenneth Arrow+ Stanford University; Wil- University of Minnesota—Morris; Melissa liam Baumol+, Princeton University and Binder University of New Mexico; L. Josh impacts on the workfare participants. Bivens Economic Policy Institute; Stanley Current law determines how long wel- New York University; Rebecca Blank, Uni- versity of Michigan; Alan Blinder, Princeton Black University of North Carolina—Chapel fare beneficiaries may participate in University; Peter Diamond+, Massachusetts Hill; Ron Blackwell AFL–CIO; Margaret workfare, which helps recipients de- Institute of Technology; Ronald Ehrenberg, Blair Vanderbilt University Law School; velop good work habits. As the min- Cornell University; Clive Granger*, Univer- Gail Blattenberger University of Utah; Rob- imum wage rises, recipients have ac- sity of California, San Diego; Lawrence Katz ert A. Blecker American University; Barry cess to less work, even if that is what Harvard University (AEA Executive Com- Bluestone Northeastern University; Peter mittee); Lawrence Klein*+, University of Bohmer Evergreen State College; David they most need to prepare for a new Boldt State University of West Georgia; job. Pennsylvania; Frank Levy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Lawrence Mishel, Roger E. Bolton Williams College; James F. Mr. Speaker, by dismissing alter- Booker Siena College; Jeff Bookwalter Uni- natives, the majority has generated a Economic Policy Institute; Alice Rivlin+, The Brookings Institution (former Vice versity of Montana; Barry Bosworth The bill whose benefits to the American Chair of the Federal Reserve and Director of Brookings Institution; Heather Boushey Cen- ter for Economic and Policy Research; Roger workers will be negligible, side effects the Office of Management and Budget); Rob- Even Bove West Chester University; Samuel real, and impacts on job creation pal- ert Solow*+, Massachusetts Institute of Bowles Santa Fe Institute; James K. Boyce pable. I urge my colleagues to reject Technology; and Joseph Stiglitz*, Columbia University of Massachusetts—Amherst; this measure. University. Ralph Bradburd Williams College; Michael E. Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Six hundred and fifty of their fellow econo- mists agree. Bradley University of Maryland—Baltimore Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 15 seconds County; Elissa Braunstein Colorado State to submit for insertion into the RECORD ECONOMISTS SUPPORTING INCREASE IN MINIMUM University; David Breneman University of a statement of 650 economists, includ- WAGE Virginia; Mark Brenner Labor Notes Maga- ing five Nobel laureates, that support Katherine G. Abraham University of Mary- zine; Vernon M. Briggs Cornell University; this increase in the minimum wage and land; Frank Ackerman Tufts University; F. Byron W. Brown Michigan State University; Gerard Adams Northeastern University; say that it will not be detrimental to Christopher Brown Arkansas State Univer- Randy Albelda University of Massachu- sity; Clair Brown University of California— the economy. setts—Boston; James Albrecht Georgetown Berkeley; Philip H. Brown Colby College; Mi- HUNDREDS OF ECONOMISTS SAY: RAISE THE University; Jennifer Alix-Garcia University chael Brun Illinois State University; Neil H. MINIMUM WAGE of Montana; Sylvia A. Allegretto Economic Buchanan Rutgers School of Law and New The minimum wage has been an important Policy Institute; Beth Almeida International York University School of Law; Robert part of our nation’s economy for 68 years. It Association of Machinists and Aerospace Buchele Smith College; Stephen Buckles is based on the principle of valuing work by Workers; Abbas Alnasrawi University of Vanderbilt University; Stephen V. Burks establishing an hourly wage floor beneath Vermont; Gar Alperovitz University of Mary- University of Minnesota—Morris; Joyce which employers cannot pay their workers. land—College Park; Joseph Altonji Yale Uni- Burnette Wabash College; Paul D. Bush Cali- In so doing, the minimum wage helps to versity; Nurul Aman University of Massa- fornia State University—Fresno; Alison But- equalize the imbalance in bargaining power chusetts—Boston; Teresa L. Amott Hobart ler Wilamette University; Antonio G. Callari that low-wage workers face in the labor mar- and William Smith Colleges; Alice Amsden Franklin and Marshall College; Al Campbell ket. The minimum wage is also an important Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Ber- University of Utah; James Campen Univer- tool in fighting poverty. nard E; Anderson University of Pennsyl- sity of Massachusetts—Boston; Maria

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 10, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H267 Cancian University of Wisconsin—Madison; Rudy Fichtenbaum Wright State University; search and Planning; Martha S. Hill Univer- Paul Cantor Norwalk Community College; Deborah M. Figart Richard Stockton Col- sity of Michigan—Ann Arbor; Michael G. Anthony Carnevale National Center on Edu- lege; Bart D. Fmzel University of Min- Hillard University of Southern Maine; Rod cation and the Economy; Jeffrey P. Car- nesota—Morris; Lydia Fischer United Auto Hissong University of Texas—Arlington; P. penter Middlebury College; Francoise Carre Workers, retired; Peter Fisher University of Sai-Wing Ho University of Denver; Emily P. University of Massachusetts—Boston; Mi- Iowa; John Fitzgerald Bowdoin College; Sean Hoffman Western Michigan University; chael J. Carter University of Massachu- Flaherty Franklin and Marshall College; Harry J. Holzer Georgetown University and setts—Lowell; Susan B. Carter University of Kenneth Flamm University of Texas—Aus- Urban Institute; Marjorie Honig Hunter Col- California—Riverside; Karl E. Case Wellesley tin; Maria S. Floro American University; lege, City University of New York; Barbara College; J. Dennis Chasse State University of Nancy Folbre University of Massachusetts— E. Hopkins Wright State University; Mark New York—Brockport; Howard Chernick Amherst; Christina M. Fong Carnegie Mellon R. Hopkins Gettysburg College; Ann Horo- Hunter College, City University of New University; Catherine Forman Quinnipiac witz University of Florida; Ismael Hossein; York; Robert Cherry Brooklyn College—City University; Harold A. Forman United Food Zadeh Drake University; Charles W. Howe University of New York; Graciela and Commercial Workers; Mathew Forstater University of Colorado—Boulder; Candace Chichilnisky Columbia University; Lawrence University of Missouri—Kansas City; Liana Howes Connecticut College; Frank M. Chimerine Radnor International Consulting, Fox Economic Policy Institute; Donald G. Howland Wabash College; David C. Huffman Inc; Menzie D; Chinn University of Wis- Freeman Sam Houston State University; Bridgewater College; Saul H. Hymans Uni- consin—Madison; Charles R. Chittle Bowling Gerald Friedman University of Massachu- versity of Michigan—Ann Arbor; Frederick Green State University; Kimberly setts—Amherst; Sheldon Friedman AFL– S. Inaba Washington State University; Alan Christensen State University of New York— CIO; Alan Frishman Hobart and William G. Isaac American University; Doreen Purchase; Richard D. Coe New College of Smith Colleges; Scott T. Fullwiler Wartburg Isenberg University of Redlands; Jonathan Florida; Robert M. Coen Northwestern Uni- College; Kevin Furey Chemeketa Community Isham Middlebury College; Sanford M. versity; Steve Cohn Knox College; Rachel College; Jason Furman New York Univer- Jacoby University of California—Los Ange- Connelly Bowdoin College; Karen Smith sity; David Gabel Queens College; James K. les; Robert G. James California State Uni- Conway University of New Hampshire; Pat- Galbraith University of Texas—Austin; versity—Chico; Kenneth P. Jameson Univer- rick Conway University of North Carolina— Monica Galizzi University of Massachu- sity of Utah; Russell A. Janis University of Chapel Hill; David R. Cormier West Virginia setts—Lowell; David E. Gallo California Massachusetts—Amherst; Elizabeth J. Jen- University; James V. Cornehls University of State University—Chico; Byron Gangnes sen Hamilton College; Pascale Joassart Uni- Texas—Arlington; Richard R. Cornwall University of Hawaii—Manoa; Irwin versity of Massachusetts—Boston; Jerome Middlebury College; Paul N. Courant Univer- Garfinkel Columbia University; Rob Garnett Joffe St. John’s University; Laurie Johnson sity of Michigan—Ann Arbor; James R. Texas Christian University; Garance Genicot University of Denver; William Johnson Ari- Crotty University of Massachusetts—Am- Georgetown University; Christophre Georges zona State University; Lawrence D. Jones herst; James M. Cypher California State Uni- Hamilton College; Malcolm Getz Vanderbilt University of British Columbia; Alexander J. versity—Fresno; Douglas Dalenberg Univer- University; Teresa Ghilarducci University of Julius New York University; Bernard Jump sity of Montana; Herman E. Daly University Notre Dame; Karen J. Gibson Portland State Syracuse University; Fadhel Kaboub Drew of Maryland; Anita Dancs National Prior- University; Richard J. Gilbert University of University; Shulamit Kahn Boston Univer- ities Project; Nasser Daneshvary University California—Berkeley; Helen Lachs Ginsburg sity; Linda Kamas Santa Clara University; of Nevada—Las Vegas; David Danning Uni- Brooklyn College—City University of New Sheila B. Kamerman Columbia University; versity of Massachusetts—Boston; Sheldon York; Herbert Gintis University of Massa- John Kane State University of New York— Danziger University of Michigan—Ann chusetts—Amherst; Neil Gladstein Inter- Oswego; Billie Kanter California State Uni- Arbor; Jane D’Arista Financial Markets Cen- national Association of Machinists and Aero- versity—Chico; J.K. Kapler University of ter; Paul Davidson The New School for So- space Workers; Amy Glasmeier Penn State Massachusetts—Boston; Roger T. Kaufman cial Research; Jayne Dean Wagner College; University; Norman J. Glickman Rutgers Smith College; David E. Kaun University of Gregory E. DeFreitas Hofstra University; University; Robert Glover University of California—Santa Cruz; Thomas A. Kemp Bradford Delong University of California— Texas—Austin; Arthur S. Goldberger Univer- University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire; Peter Berkeley; James G. Devine Loyola sity of Wisconsin—Madison; Lonnie Golden B. Kenen Princeton University; Farida C. Marymount College; Ranjit S. Dighe State Penn State University—Abington College; Khan University of Wisconsin—Parks ide; University of New York—Oswego; John Dan Goldhaber University of Washington; Kwan S. Kim University of Notre Dame; DiNardo University of Michigan—Ann Arbor; Marshall I. Goldman Wellesley College; Ste- Marlene Kim University of Massachusetts— Randall Dodd Financial Policy Forum; Peter ven M. Goldman University of California— Boston; Christopher T. King University of B. Doeringer Boston University; Peter Berkeley; William W. Goldsmith Cornell Uni- Texas—Austin; Mary C. King Portland State Dorman Evergreen State College; Robert versity; Donald Goldstein Allegheny College; University; Lori G. Kletzer University of Drago Pennsylvania State University; Laura Nance Goldstein University of Southern California—Santa Cruz; Janet T. Knoedler Dresser University of Wisconsin; Richard B. Maine; Nick Gomersall Luther College; Eban Bucknell University; Tim Koechlin Vassar Du Boff Bryn Mawr College; Arindrajit Dube S. Goodstein Lewis and Clark College; Neva College; Andrew I. Kohen James Madison University of California—Berkeley; Marie Goodwin Tufts University; Roger Gordon University; Denise Eby Konan University of Duggan Keene State College; Lloyd J. Dumas University of California—San Diego; Peter Hawaii—Manoa; Ebru Kongar Dickinson Col- University of Texas—Dallas; Christopher Gottschalk Boston College; Elise Gould Eco- lege; James Konow Loyola Marymount Uni- Dunn Earth and Its People Foundation; Ste- nomic Policy Institute; Harvey Gram Queens versity; Krishna Kool University of Rio ven N. Durlauf University of Wisconsin— College, City University of New York; Jim Grande; Douglas Koritz Buffalo State Col- Madison; Amitava K. Dutt University of Grant Lewis & Clark College; Ulla Grapard lege; Daniel J. Kovenock Purdue University; Notre Dame; Jan Dutta Rutgers University; Colgate University; Daphne Greenwood Uni- Kate Krause University of New Mexico; Gary A. Dymski University of California— versity of Colorado—Colorado Springs; Karl Vadaken N. Krishnan Bowling Green State Riverside; Peter J. Eaton University of Mis- Gregory Oakland University; Christopher University; Douglas Kruse Rutgers Univer- souri—Kansas City; Fritz Efaw University of Gunn Hobart and William Smith Colleges; sity; David Laibman Brooklyn College—City Tennessee—Chattanooga; Catherine S. El- Steven C. Hackett Humboldt State Univer- University of New York; Robert M. La; Jeu- liott New College of Florida; Richard W. sity; Joseph E. Harrington Johns Hopkins nesse University of Newcastle; Kevin Lang England University of New Hampshire; Ernie University; Douglas N. Harris Florida State Boston University; Catherine Langlois Englander George Washington University; University; Jonathan M. Harris Tufts Uni- Georgetown University; Mehrene Larudee Gerald Epstein University of Massachu- versity; Martin Hart; Landsberg Lewis & DePaul University; Gary A. Latanich Arkan- setts—Amherst; Sharon J. Erenburg Eastern Clark College; Robert Haveman University sas State University; Robert Z. Lawrence Michigan University; Susan L. Ettner Uni- of Wisconsin—Madison; Sue Headlee Amer- Harvard University—Kennedy School of Gov- versity of California—Los Angeles; Linda ican University; Carol E. Heim University of ernment; Daniel Lawson Drew University; Ewing United Auto Workers; Colleen A. Massachusetts—Amherst; James Heintz Uni- William Lazonick University of Massachu- Fahy Assumption College; Loretta Fairchild versity of Massachusetts—Amherst; Paul A. setts—Lowell; Joelle J. Leclaire Buffalo Nebraska Wesleyan University; David Fairris Heise Lebanon Valley College; Susan Helper State College; Frederic S. Lee University of University of California—Riverside; Warren Case Western Reserve University; John F. Missouri Kansas City; Marvin Lee San Jose E. Farb International Capital Mobility Do- Henry University of Missouri—Kansas City; State University; Sang-Hyop Lee University mestic Investment; Martin Farnham Univer- Barry Herman The New School; Edward S. of Hawaii—Manoa; Woojin Lee University of sity of Victoria; Jeff Faux Economic Policy Herman University of Pennsylvania; Guil- Massachusetts—Amherst; Thomas D. Legg Institute; Susan Fayazmanesh California lermo E. Herrera Bowdoin College; Joni University of Minnesota; J. Paul Leigh Uni- State University—Fresno; Rashi Fein Har- Hersch Vanderbilt University Law School; versity of California—Davis; Charles vard Medical School; Robert M. Feinberg Thomas Hertel Purdue University; Steven Levenstein University of Massachusetts— American University; Susan F. Feiner Uni- Herzenberg Keystone Research Center; Don- Lowell; Margaret C. Levenstein University of versity of Southern Maine; Marshall Feld- ald D. Hester University of Wisconsin—Madi- Michigan—Ann Arbor I Henry M. Levin Co- man University of Rhode Island; Marianne A. son; Gillian Hewitson Franklin and Marshall lumbia University; Herbert S. Levine Univer- Ferber University of Illinois—Urbana-Cham- College; Bert G. Hickman Stanford Univer- sity of Pennsylvania; Mark Levinson Eco- paign; William D. Ferguson Grinnell College; sity; Marianne T. Hill Center for Policy Re- nomic Policy Institute; Oren M. Levin-

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE H268 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2007 Waldman Metropolitan College of New York; State University; Michele Naples The Col- versity; Joydeep Roy Economic Policy Insti- Mark K. Levitan Community Service Soci- lege of New Jersey; Tara Natarajan St. Mi- tute; David Runsten Community Alliance ety of New York; Stephen Levy Center for chael’s College; Julie A. Nelson Tufts Uni- with Family Farmers; Lynda Rush Cali- Continuing Study of California Economy; versity; Reynold F. Nesiba Augustana Col- fornia State Polytechnic University—Po- Arthur Lewbel Boston College; Lynne Y. lege; Donald A. Nichols University of Wis- mona; Gregory M. Saltzman Albion College Lewis Bates College; David L. Lindauer consin—Madison; Eric Nilsson California and the University of Michigan; Sydney Wellesley College; Victor D. Lippit Univer- State University—San Bernardino; Laurie Saltzman Cornell University; Dominick sity of California—Riverside; Pamela J. Nisonoff Hampshire College; Emily Northrop Salvatore Fordham University; Blair Sandler Loprest Urban Institute; Richard Lotspeich Southwestern University; Bruce Norton San San Francisco, California; Daniel E. Saros Indiana State University; Michael C. Lovell Antonio College; Stephen A. O’Connell Valparaiso University; Michael Sattinger Wesleyan University; Milton Lower Retired Swarthmore College; Mehmet Odekon University at Albany; Dawn Saunders Senior Economist, U.S. House of Representa- Skidmore College; Paulette Olson Wright Castleton State College; Larry Sawers Amer- tives; Stephanie Luce University of Massa- State University; Paul Ong University of ican University; Max Sawicky Economic chusetts—Amherst; Robert Lucore United California—Los Angeles; Van Doorn Ooms Policy Institute; Peter V. Schaeffer West American Nurses; Jens Otto Ludwig George- Committee for Economic Development; Jon- Virginia University; William C. Schauiel town University; Dan Luria Michigan Manu- athan M. Orszag Competition Policy Associ- University of West Georgia; A. Allan Schmid facturing Technology Center; Devon Lynch ates, Inc.; Paul Osterman Massachusetts In- Michigan State University; Stephen J. University of Denver; Lisa M. Lynch Tufts stitute of Technology; Shaianne T. Schmidt Union College; John Schmitt Cen- University; Robert G. Lynch Washington Osterreich Ithaca College; Rudolph A. Os- ter for Economic and Policy Research; Juliet College; Catherine Lynde University of Mas- wald George Meany Labor Studies Center; B. Schor Boston College; C. Heike Schotten sachusetts—Boston; Arthur MacEwan Uni- Spencer J. Pack Connecticut College; Arnold University of Massachusetts—Boston; Eric versity of Massachusetts—Boston; Hasan Packer Johns Hopkins University; Dimitri B. A. Schutz Rollins College; Elliot Sclar Co- MacNeil California State University—Chico; Papadimitriou The Levy Economic Institute lumbia University; Allen J. Scott University Allan MacNeill Webster University; Craig R. of Bard College; James A. Parrott Fiscal Pol- of California—Los Angeles; Bruce R. Scott MacPhee University of Nebraska—Lincoln; icy Institute; Manuel Pastor University of Harvard Business School; Robert Scott Eco- Diane J. Macunovich University of Redlands; California—Santa Cruz; Eva A. Paus Mount nomic Policy Institute; Stephauie Seguino Janice F. Madden University of Pennsyl- Holyoke College; Jim Peach New Mexico University of Vermont; Laurence Seidman vania; Mark H. Maier Glendale Community State University; M. Stephen Pendleton Buf- University of Delaware; Janet Seiz Grinnell College; Thomas N. Maloney University of falo State College; Michael Perelman Cali- College; Willi Semmler The New School; Utah; Jay R. Mandie Colgate University; An- fornia State University—Chico; Kenneth Mina Zeynep Senses Johns Hopkins Univer- drea Maneschi Vanderbilt University; Garth Peres Communications Workers of America; sity; Jean Shackelford Bucknell University; Mangum University of Utah; Catherine L. George L. Perry The Brookings Institution; Harry G. Shaffer University of Kansas; Mann Brandeis University; Don Mar San Joseph Persky University of Illinois—Chi- Sumitra Shah St. John’s University; Robert Francisco State University; Dave E. Mar- cago; Karen A. Pfeifer Smith College; Bruce J. Shapiro Sonecon LLC; Mohammed Sharif cotte University of Maryland—Baltimore Pietrykowski University of Michigan—Dear- University of Rhode Island; Lois B. Shaw In- County; Robert A. Margo Boston University; born; Michael J. Piore Massachusetts Insti- stitute for Women’s Policy Research; Heidi Ann R. Markusen University of Minnesota— tute of Technology; Karen R. Polenske Mas- Shierholz University of Toronto; Deep Twin Cities; Ray Marshall University of sachusetts Institute of Technology; Robert Shikha College of St. Catherine; Richard L. Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs; Stephen Pollin University of Massachusetts—Am- Shirey Siena College; Steven Shulman Colo- Martin Purdue University; Patrick L Mason herst; Marshall Pomer Macroeconomic Pol- rado State University; Laurence Shute Cali- Florida State University; Thomas Masterson icy Institute; Tod Porter Youngstown State fornia State Polytechnic University—Po- Westfield State College; Julie A. Matthaei University; Shirley L. Porterfield University mona; Stephen J. Silvia American Univer- Wellesley College; Peter Hans Matthews of Missouri—St. Louis; Michael J. Potepan sity; Michael E. Simmons North Carolina Middlebury College; Anne Mayhew Univer- San Francisco State University; Marilyn A&T State University; Margaret C. Simms sity of Tennessee—Knoxville; Alan K. Power Sarah Lawrence College; Thomas Joint Center for Political and Economic McAdams Cornell University; Timothy D. Power University of Montana; Robert E. Studies; Chris Skelley Rollins College; Max McBride St. Louis University School of Pub- Prasch Middlebury College; Mark A. Price J. Skidmore University of Missouri—Kansas lic Health; Elaine McCrate University of Keystone Research Center; Jean L. Pyle Uni- City; Peter Skott University of Massachu- Vermont; Kate McGovern Springfield Col- versity of Massachusetts—Lowell; Paddy setts—Amherst; Courtenay M. Slater Arling- lege; Richard D. McGrath Armstrong Atlan- Quick St. Francis College; John M. Quigley ton, Virginia; Timothy M. Smeeding Syra- tic State University; Richard McIntyre Uni- University of California—Berkeley; Willard cuse University; Janet Spitz College of Saint versity of Rhode Island; Hannah McKinney W. Radell, Jr. Indiana University of Pennsyl- Rose; William Spriggs Howard University; Kalamazoo College; Judith Record McKinney vania; Fredric Raines Washington University James L. Starkey University of Rhode Is- Hobart and William Smith Colleges; Andrew in St. Louis; Steven Raphael University of land; Martha A. Starr American University; McLennan University of Sydney; Charles W. California—Berkeley; Salim Rashid Univer- Howard Stein University of Michigan—Ann McMillion MBG Information Services; Ellen sity of Illinois—Urbana—Champaign; Wendy Arbor; Mary Huff Stevenson University of Meara Harvard Medical School; Martin L. Rayack Wesleyan University; Randall Massachusetts—Boston; James B. Stewart Melkonian Hofstra University; Jo Beth Reback Barnard College, Columbia Univer- Pennsylvania State University; Jeffrey Mertens Hobart and William Smith Colleges; sity; Robert Rebelein Vassar College; James Stewart Northern Kentucky University. Peter B. Meyer University of Louisville and B. Rebitzer Case Western Reserve Univer- Robert J. Stonebraker Winthrop University; Northern Kentucky University; Thomas R. sity; Daniel I. Rees University of Colorado— Michael Storper University of California— Michl Colgate University; Edward Miguel Denver; Michael Reich University of Cali- Los Angeles; Diana Strassmann Rice Univer- University of California—Berkeley; William fornia—Berkeley; Robert B. Reich University sity; Cornelia J. Strawser Consultant; Fred- Milberg The New School; John A. Miller of California—Berkeley; Cordelia Reimers erick R. Strobel New College of Florida; Wheaton College; S.M. Miller Cambridge In- Hunter College and The Graduate Center— James I. Sturgeon University of Missouri— stitute and Boston University; Jerry Miner City University of New York; Donald Renner Kansas City; David M. Sturges Colgate Uni- Syracuse University; Daniel J.B. Mitchel Minnesota State University—Mankato; versity; William A. Sundstrom Santa Clara University of California—Los Angeles; Ed- Trudi Renwick Fiscal Policy Institute; An- University; Jonathan Sunshine Reston, Vir- ward B. Montgomery University of Mary- drew Reschovsky University of Wisconsin— ginia; Paul Swaim Organisation for Eco- land; Sarah Montgomery Mount Holyoke Madison. Lee A. Reynis University of New nomic Co-operation and Development; Craig College; Robert E. Moore Georgia State Uni- Mexico; Daniel Richards Tufts University; Swan University of Minnesota—Twin Cities; versity; Barbara A. Morgan Johns Hopkins Bruce Roberts University of Southern Maine; Paul A. Swanson William Paterson Univer- University; John R. Morris University of Barbara J. Robles Arizona State University; sity; William K. Tabb Queens College; Peter Colorado—Denver; Monique Morrissey Eco- John Roche St. John Fisher College; Charles Temin Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nomic Policy Institute; Lawrence B. Morse P. Rock Rollins College; William M. Rodgers nology; Judith Tendler Massachusetts Insti- North Carolina A&T State University; Saeed III Rutgers University; Dani Rodrik Harvard tute of Technology; David Terkla University Mortazavi Humboldt State University; Fred University; John E. Roemer Yale University; of Massachusetts—Boston; Kenneth Thomas Moseley Mount Holyoke College; Philip I. William O. Rohlf Drury University; Gerard University of Missouri—St. Louis; Frank Moss University of Massachusetts—Lowell; Roland University of California—Berkeley; Thompson University of Michigan—Ann Tracy Mott University of Denver; Steven D. Frank Roosevelt Sarah Lawrence College; Arbor; Ross D. Thomson University of Mullins Drury University; Alicia H. Munnell Jaime Ros University of Notre Dame; Nancy Vermont; Emanuel D. Thorne Brooklyn Col- Boston College; Richard J. Murnane Harvard E. Rose California State University—San lege—City University of New York; Jill University; Matthew D. Murphy Gainesville Bernardino; Howard F. Rosen Trade Adjust- Tiefenthaler Colgate University; Thomas H. State College; Michael Murray Bates Col- ment Assistance Coalition; Joshua L. Tietenberg Colby College; Chris Tilly Uni- lege; Peggy B. Musgrave University of Cali- Rosenbloom University of Kansas; William versity of Massachusetts—Lowell; Renee fornia—Santa Cruz; Richard A. Musgrave W. Ross Fu Associates, Ltd.; Roy J. Rothelm Toback Empire State College; Mayo C. Harvard University; Ellen Mutari Richard Skidmore College; Jesse Rothstein Princeton Torun˜ o California State University—San Stockton College; Sirisha Naidu Wright University; Geoffrey Rothwell Stanford Uni- Bernardino; W. Scott Trees Siena College; A.

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 10, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H269 Dale Tussing Syracuse University; James it should be a violation of a person’s For the past 9 years, America’s work- Tybout Penn State University; Christopher civil rights not to provide adequate ing families have not received a pay Udry Yale University; Daniel A. Underwood compensation for their work. raise. Today, minimum wage employ- Peninsula College; Lynn Unruh University of Mr. Speaker, we must ensure that ees working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks Central Florida; Leanne Ussher Queens Col- lege, City University of New York; David working people earn enough to care for a year, earn $5,000 below the poverty Vail Bowdoin College; Vivian Grace themselves and their families. level for a family of three. How can we Valdmanis University of the Sciences in I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2 and allow so many hardworking families to Philadelphia; William Van Lear Belmont support the millions of working Americans who live in poverty? Abbey College; Lane Vanderslice Hunger so desperately need a raise in the minimum Increasing the minimum wage to Notes; Lise Vesterlund University of Pitts- wage. $7.25 an hour will give our working burgh; Michael G. Vogt Eastern Michigan Mr. MCCRERY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 families an additional $4,400 a year. University; Paula B. Voos Rutgers Univer- minutes to the gentleman from Geor- This will help them meet critical needs sity; Mark Votruba Case Western Reserve gia, a member of the Ways and Means such as rent, health care, child care, University; Susan Vroman Georgetown Uni- Committee, Mr. LINDER. and food. I urge all Members to please versity; Howard M. Wachtel American Uni- Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank versity; Jeffrey Waddoups University of Ne- support this legislation. vada—Las Vegas; Norman Waitzman Univer- the gentleman for yielding. In this 110th Congress, we must reaffirm the sity of Utah; Lawrence A. Waldman Univer- Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this po- American Dream that rewards hard work with sity of New Mexico; John F. Walker Portland litical effort to fix prices. Dr. Milton good pay and the opportunity to support State University; William Waller Hobart and Friedman spoke on this issue 31 years strong and healthy families. An increase in the William Smith Colleges; Jennifer Warlick ago. He noted that the proponents of minimum wage will help us achieve this goal. University of Notre Dame; Matthew Warning increasing the minimum wage are well- I urge all of my colleagues to support this leg- University of Puget Sound; Bernard Wasow meaning do-gooders, but they are play- islation. The Century Foundation; Robert W. ing politics with people’s futures. Mr. MCCRERY. Mr. Speaker, I in- Wassmer California State University—Sac- These ideas always have two groups clude in the RECORD a report from the ramento; Sidney Weintraub Center for Stra- of sponsors, the well-meaning do- Congressional Budget Office as to the tegic and International Studies; Mark gooders and the special interests who cost to State, local, and tribal govern- Weisbrot Center for Economic and Policy Research; Charles L. Weise Gettysburg Col- are using the do-gooders as front men. ments and to the private sector of the lege; Thomas E. Weisskopf University of Since there is absolutely no positive provisions of the legislation before us; Michigan—Ann Arbor; Christian E. Weller objective achieved by a minimum wage simply about $1 billion to governments Center for American Progress; Fred M. West- other than costing beginning workers and about $16 billion to the private sec- field Vanderbilt University; Charles J. their jobs, the real purpose is to reduce tor, mostly small businesses. Whalen Perspectives on Work; Cathleen L. competition for unions so that it is U.S. CONGRESS, Whiting Williamette University; Howard easier to maintain the wages of their CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Wial The Brookings Institution; Linda privileged members higher than the Washington, DC, December 29, 2006. Wilcox Young Southern Oregon University; others. Hon. WILLIAM ‘‘BILL’’ M. THOMAS, Arthur R. Williams Rochester—Minnesota; The minimum wage says that em- Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Robert G. Williams Guilford College; John House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Willoughby American University; Valerie ployers must discriminate against DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I am pleased to re- Rawlston Wilson National Urban League; those with low skills. If you have a job spond, in the attachment to this letter, to Jon D. Wisman American University; Bar- that is worth $5 an hour, you may not your questions about the potential effects on bara L. Wolfe University of Wisconsin— employ that person. It is illegal. government revenues and outlays that could Madison; Edward Wolff New York Univer- So who pays? The 1981 Minimum result from enactment of an increase in the sity; Martin Wolfson University of Notre Wage Study Commission concluded federal minimum wage rate from $5.15 to Dame; Brenda Wyss Wheaton College; Yavuz that a 10 percent increase in the min- $7.25 per hour. Yasar University of Denver; Anne Yeagle In addition, at the request of Congressman imum wage reduced teenage employ- McKeon, CBO has prepared a cost estimate University of Utah; Erinc Yelden University ment by 1 to 3 percent. From 1981 to of Massachusetts—Amherst; Ben E. Young (dated December 29, 2006) for H.R. 2429, the University of Missouri—Kansas City; Edward 1990, the minimum wage did not rise, Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2005, which G. Young University of Wisconsin—Eau and teen unemployment fell from 25 would raise the minimum wage to $7.25 in Claire; June Zaccone National Jobs for All percent to 15 percent. After the 1990 in- three steps over a two-year period. A copy of Coalition and Hofstra University; Ajit crease, teen unemployment rose to that estimate is also attached. Zacharias Levy Economics Institute of Bard more than 20 percent. The 46 percent If you require additional information College; David A. Zalewski Providence Col- about the effects of increases in the min- rise between 1977 and 1981 cost 644,000 imum wage, CBO will be pleased to provide lege; Henry W. Zaretsky Henry W. Zaretsky jobs among teens alone. & Associates, Inc.; Jim Zelenski Regis Uni- it. The staff contacts are Paul Cullinan, Who else pays? Small business. A Ralph Smith, and Mark Booth. versity; Andrew Zimbalist Smith College; small business with five minimum and John Zysman University of California— Sincerely, Berkeley. wage positions would face more than DONALD B. MARRON, $21,000 in additional wage costs. That Acting Director. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the Attachments. gentlewoman from California (Ms. does not include increases in payroll and unemployment taxes nor wage de- CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE RESPONSES WOOLSEY), a member of the committee mands from other employees looking TO QUESTIONS POSED BY CONGRESSMAN and a long-time proponent of increas- THOMAS ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF INCREASING ing the minimum wage and making our to stay ahead of the minimum wage. THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE economy fairer. For many businesses, small businesses, Question. How many workers currently Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, 40 years a higher minimum wage simply earning under or just above $7.25 an hour ago, I was a single mother with three equates to a major tax hike. That is would be affected? Does CBO believe that a small children; and although I was em- what this is. higher minimum wage will result in in- ployed, I was forced to go on welfare. I Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. creased unemployment among this group? Answer. According to data from the Cur- know what it is like to try to get by on Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. rent Population Survey, in October 2006, a paycheck that is not enough to meet there were approximately 8.4 million work- ends. SIRES). ers usually paid on an hourly wage basis Like my experience, today there are Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the whose wage rate was between $5.15, the cur- many, many Americans who are work- gentleman for yielding me this time. rent federal minimum wage rate, and $7.25; ing so hard who are earning the min- Members, I rise in support of H.R. 2. two-thirds of them were paid more than $6.00 imum wage who are still coming up I am proud to be a Member of Congress per hour. short. And, Mr. Speaker, the majority at a time when I can help the nearly 13 The number of workers at or just above the of these Americans are women and million American workers that will federal minimum wage rate has been declin- benefit from an increase in the min- ing and is expected to continue to decline be- most of them have children. They put cause of market forces and actions taken by in a full 40-hour work week. They still imum wage, including the almost 2.8 many states. As of October 2006, 20 states and live below the poverty line. million Hispanic workers whose qual- the District of Columbia had laws that re- This is absolutely unacceptable, be- ity of life will be greatly improved by quired employers covered by their legisla- cause in a prosperous Nation like ours this legislation. tion to pay wage rates above $5.15 per hour.

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE H270 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2007 In 2007, eight more states will fall in that your letter could affect federal spending, but tent that the balances in the state UI ac- category. Some states, including California the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) counts deviated from a state’s desired posi- and Massachusetts, will have minimum wage judges that those effects would be small. tion, the state would adjust its tax rates and rates above $7.25. Thus, the number of people Moreover, whether those impacts would be benefit provisions to offset those deviations, that would be directly affected by an in- an increase or decrease in spending is uncer- CBO assumes. Thus, CBO expects the net ef- crease in the federal minimum wage rate and tain because the result would depend on the fect on the UI program to be neutral over the magnitude of the wage adjustments that income and family characteristics of the af- time. would be required of employers are expected fected individuals. Some workers would see CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE their incomes increased, but others might to diminish over time. H.R. 2429—Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2005 The potential employment and unemploy- see their work hours and earnings decline (or ment impacts of raising the federal min- sometimes eliminated completely) as em- Summary: H.R. 2429 would amend the Fair imum wage rate to $7.25 per hour are dif- ployers responded to the increase in the min- Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to increase the ficult to predict, but are likely to be small. imum wage. CBO expects that, in many federal minimum wage in three steps from Economists have devoted considerable en- cases, those groups of workers would have $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour. The bill also ergy to the task of estimating how employ- similar characteristics and therefore similar would apply the minimum wage provisions of ers would respond to such a mandate. Al- tendencies to participate in public programs. the FLSA to the Commonwealth of the though most economists would agree that an For those workers newly unemployed, in- Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The Con- increase in the minimum wage rate would creased participation in assistance programs gressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates cause firms to employ fewer low-wage work- would generate significant additional costs that enactment of an identical bill in the ers, there is considerable disagreement about on a per-case basis, but decreased costs for next Congress would have no significant ef- the magnitude of the reduction. The main workers with increased earnings would offset fect on the direct spending and revenues of reason for that disagreement is the difficulty most or all of that effect. the federal government. Because a very in distinguishing the effects on employment The majority of minimum-wage workers small number of federal employees are paid that were attributable to past changes in the do not receive any benefits under the Earned the federal minimum wage, the bill would minimum wage from those that were attrib- Income Tax Credit (EITC), Food Stamp pro- have a minor effect on the budgets of federal utable to other changes in the labor market. gram, or Medicaid. Those eligible for EITC agencies that are controlled through annual Moreover, the results of such analyses are payments could receive either higher or appropriations. difficult to apply to future changes because lower payments depending on whether or not The bill would impose mandates, as defined labor market conditions will be different. they were in the ‘‘phase-in’’ or the ‘‘phase- by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act Many of the attempts to estimate the em- out’’ income ranges. Workers would lose (UMRA), on some state and local govern- ployment impacts of increases in the min- EITC payments if they were in the phase-out ments, Indian tribes, and private-sector em- imum wage were based on data from periods range and received higher earnings, and they ployers because it would require them to pay in which the federal minimum wage was would gain EITC payments if they were in higher wages than they are required to pay much higher, as a percentage of average the phase-in range and received higher earn- under current law. The bill also would pre- wages, than it is now or will be when any ings, within limits. CBO’s analysis suggests empt the minimum wage laws of the CNMI. proposed increases would take effect. Like- that more affected workers are in the phase- CBO estimates that the costs to state, local, wise, the number of people paid at the fed- out range than in the phase-in range. How- and tribal governments and to the private eral minimum wage rate is much smaller ever, the implicit tax rate for EITC recipi- sector would exceed the thresholds estab- now than it was prior to previous increases ents in the phase-out range is generally lished by UMRA. (The thresholds in 2007 are even though the labor force has grown sig- much lower than the rate of benefit accrual $66 million for intergovernmental mandates nificantly. for recipients in the phase-in range. As a re- and $131 million for private-sector mandates, Employers could respond to an increase in sult, CBO’s preliminary analysis suggests both adjusted annually for inflation.) the federal minimum wage in many different that the phase-in and phase-out effects For the purposes of this estimate, CBO as- ways. Some would reduce the number of would virtually offset each other and total sumes the legislation will be enacted by workers they employed or cut back on the EITC payments would be little changed. March 1, 2007. If so, the minimum wage number of hours worked by some of their Food Stamp benefits would fall for some would rise from $5.15 to $5.85 on May 1, 2007, employees. Because many of the workers in workers, but could rise for others if they to $6.55 on May 1, 2008, and to $7.25 on May the affected wage range are on part-time were among those in the labor force who saw 1, 2009. schedules, reducing the hours of employment their work hours decline. Similarly, some Estimated cost to the Federal Govern- might be easier to do than it would be if all Medicaid recipients would reach income lev- ment: CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2429 workers were employed on fixed eight-hour els that would make them ineligible for that would have no significant effects on the fed- schedules. coverage, while others whose work hours eral budget. Other ways that employers might respond were diminished might become eligible. Affected workers and their families could to an increase in the federal minimum wage Question. Will there be significant in- experience changes to their incomes that would not involve adjustments in employ- creases in the amount of payroll or income would affect the benefits they receive from ment levels or hours. Employers might taxes collected as a result of the increased federal programs such as the Earned Income screen job applicants more closely to select income from affected workers? Tax Credit (EITC), Food Stamps, and Med- employees from whom they would expect Answer. CBO’s estimate of the potential ef- icaid. However, CBO judges that in aggregate higher productivity. Some employers might fects of an increase in the minimum wage on any such impacts would be small, and could reduce fringe benefits for their employees. federal revenues is similar to that for spend- result in either higher or lower spending in Some employers might attempt to pass ing—the impact would be small and of inde- those programs. Most workers in the affected along at least a portion of the additional terminate direction. The effective tax rates wage range do not currently participate in payroll costs to their customers by raising for workers whose income would rise are not those programs. CBO’s analysis of the EITC prices. They might be successful in doing so likely to be very different from those who indicates that those workers who are in the if their competitors were also faced with might see their hours and earnings de- earnings range where the EITC is phased out higher labor costs because of the increase in creased. Those effective tax rates reflect would receive reduced payments that would the minimum wage. payroll taxes (for Social Security, Medicare, virtually offset the additional benefits re- Any reductions in the growth in employ- and Unemployment Insurance) and income ceived by those in the phase-in range. Simi- ment resulting from such an increase in the taxes. larly, those Food Stamp participants whose minimum wage rate would not necessarily Question. What effect will the increased earnings rose would receive fewer benefits, result in a corresponding increase in unem- minimum wage have on the unemployment but workers who could not find work at the ployment—that is, the number of people ac- insurance program? Does CBO expect that higher wages or whose hours were cut back tively seeking work. The impact on the level state unemployment payroll taxes will need would likely claim higher benefits. of unemployment would also depend on how to be increased or that unemployment ben- The potential revenue effects are similar— the changes in work opportunities resulting efit payments will increase as a result of any small and of indeterminate direction. CBO from an increase in the minimum wage rate unemployment resulting from the increase expects that the workers with increased affected people’s decisions about partici- in the minimum wage? earnings would have characteristics similar pating in the labor force. Answer. CBO estimates that increases in to those whose incomes fall as a result of un- Question. Does CBO expect there to be any the minimum wage would have a negligible employment or reduced hours. Consequently, increased or decreased spending on work sup- effect on the unemployment insurance (UI) the marginal tax rates for the two groups port programs such as the Earned Income program. Unemployment benefits might rise would be comparable, and the changes in the Tax Credit, Medicaid, or Food Stamps? Is slightly from any increase in unemployment minimum wage would result in little change there an expected increase or decrease in the that might ensue, but only a very small in aggregate tax revenues. number of people participating in these anti- share of minimum-wage workers end up Intergovernmental and private-sector im- poverty programs as a result of higher wages qualifying for benefits. Initially, taxes under pact: The amendment would impose both resulting from the minimum wage? the program could rise or fall depending on intergovernmental and private-sector man- Answer. The increases in the minimum what happened to earnings under the annual dates, as defined in UMRA, because it would wage on the order of magnitude suggested in cap on taxable wages. Moreover, to the ex- require employers to pay higher wages than

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 10, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H271 they are required to pay under current law. behind and that is particularly dis- omy. Workers will benefit. Businesses In addition, it would preempt the minimum appointing. will benefit. Far from lopping off the wage laws of the CNMI. That preemption While H.R. 2 will provide a $2.10 raise lowest rung of the ladder, as our col- also is considered a mandate. for American workers, sadly, it fails to leagues have argued, this will raise the To estimate the direct cost to employers of raising the minimum wage (that is, the cost take into account many Americans entire ladder. The economics are clear. of the new requirement absent any change in with disabilities who are in our work- We have seen it again and again. their behavior), CBO used information on the force. These are disabled Americans Mr. MCCRERY. Mr. Speaker, I yield number of workers whose wages would be af- who receive SSI disability benefits who myself such time as I may consume. fected in May 2007 and subsequent months, are active participants in the work- The gentleman from New Jersey the wage rates these workers would receive force and maintaining jobs that give talked about the experience in New in the absence of the bill, and the number of them great satisfaction. Unfortu- Jersey of increasing the minimum hours for which they would be compensated. nately, they are left behind because, wage, and he stated that no jobs were The estimate was made in two steps. First, lost. He didn’t cite any study to that CBO used data from the Current Population currently, SSI beneficiaries are limited Survey to estimate how much it would have to $900 per month in order to remain el- effect. He just stated it. There are cost employers to comply with the mandate igible to receive benefits. If the wage studies, though, that show that after had they been required to do so in late 2006. hike under consideration today goes the increase in minimum wage in the Second, that estimate was used to project into law without raising an earnings 1990s, there were, in fact, job losses. the costs to employers beginning in May limit for people on SSI, Americans 146,000 jobs were cut from restaurant 2007, taking into account the expected de- with disabilities engaged in full-time payrolls, and operators of restaurants cline over time in the number of workers in employment would either potentially signaled plans to postpone hiring an the relevant wage range. Those estimates additional 106,000 new employees be- take into account the fact that some states lose their benefits or have to cut back already have, or will have, minimum wages on their hours. That is a decision they cause of the raise of the minimum higher than the current federal minimum shouldn’t have to make. wage. And, also, the Bureau of Labor wage. Mr. Speaker, this is not only a dis- Statistics data shows that following CBO estimates that the costs to state, incentive to work, it is a woefully the increase in minimum wage, net in- local, and tribal governments would exceed shortsighted policy, which hopefully crease in jobs were significantly re- the threshold established by UMRA for inter- we will be able to correct before this duced around the country. And whether governmental mandates ($66 million in 2007, law goes into effect. that is a coincidence or not, we don’t adjusted annually for inflation) in each year I introduced H.R. 290 which would en- know, but certainly the evidence is beginning in fiscal year 2008. We also esti- mate that the costs to the private sector sure that workers with disabilities fairly clear that there was an impact. would exceed the annual threshold estab- would not lose their payments through Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the lished in the law for private-sector mandates raising the earnings limitation on SSI. gentleman from Texas, a member of ($131 million in 2007, adjusted annually for I wasn’t able to offer that provision the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. inflation) in each year beginning in fiscal today because no amendments are BRADY. year 2007. The following table summarizes being allowed. The result, unfortu- Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I the estimated costs of those mandates. nately, is, having barred Republicans think we are missing a historic oppor- from having offered this change as an tunity to change the paradigm to real- ESTIMATED COSTS OF MANDATES IN H.R. 2429 amendment, the majority has created ly help workers get into a living wage By fiscal year, in billions of dollars— as real victims not House Republicans for the long term. The fact is, an in- but Americans with disabilities. And crease to $7.25 an hour will still leave a 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 that is a shame. single mom with a child at or near pov- COSTS TO STATE, LOCAL, AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS Although an increase in the min- erty. And there is no doubt that a video Increase the federal minimum imum wage is critical, and I strongly store owner in Texas or anywhere else wage ...... * 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.3 support this bill, I sincerely hope that with five workers, when faced with a DIRECT COST TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR the new majority will move ultimately $25,000 increase in payroll and no Increase the federal minimum wage ...... 0.3 1.5 4.0 5.7 5.0 to rectify this inequity in this Con- chance they are going to rent that Apply the minimum wage to gress. many more videos, are going to look at the CNMI...... * 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 Note: * = Less than $50 mil- Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. whether they can afford all those work- lion. Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄2 minutes to the ers. gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Remembering well the minimum Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: wage jobs I held when younger and also Christina Hawley Anthony; Impact on State, HOLT). Local, and Tribal Governments: Theresa Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the having worked hard to make a small Gullo; Impact on the Private Sector: Ralph gentleman. business payroll, I think we need new Smith. Mr. Speaker, we finally are going to thinking. America’s goals should not Estimate approved by: Robert A. Sunshine, raise the minimum wage. No gim- be to raise the minimum wage; our Assistant Director for Budget Analysis and micks, no combination with extraneous goals should be to get workers off it Bruce Vavrichek, Assistant Director for legislation, just a straight up or down and into good-paying jobs that you can Health and Human Resources. vote to raise the minimum wage from raise a family on. Mr. Speaker, I yield 21⁄2 minutes to what has become the lowest purchasing So rather than recycle the same 60- another member of the Ways and power in half a century. year-old arguments, why don’t we help Means Committee, the gentleman from New Jersey instituted a fair living workers break out of the minimum Pennsylvania (Mr. ENGLISH). wage a year or so ago; and, guess what, wage trap? Rather than raise the min- Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. the increase did not result in layoffs. imum wage, let employers create edu- Speaker, I rise as a longtime advocate That indeed has been the experience of cation debit cards where workers can of raising the minimum wage, as some- every previous increase around the take those debit cards to the local one who supports the McKeon-McCrery country. With a minimum wage salary community college or the trade schools alternative because it is balanced and of a little over $10,000 a year, health so they can get a real job. Let business provides incentives for investment and premiums are that much, how do you and professions, whole industries con- small business and job creation. As expect a family to get along? This will tribute to those debit cards so we can someone who worked 10 years ago for benefit 13 million people, millions of train workers for the jobs of today the last increase for the minimum children, millions with children to sup- which are crying for many American wage, working very closely with my port, millions as head of household. workers. And since Congress is eager to then colleague Mr. Quinn of Buffalo, we Now, you have heard about the fair- do this pay raise on someone else’s were able to achieve that. ness and the compassion arguments for dime, let small businesses deduct and Today, we have an opportunity to this increase. We really must empha- receive credit those dollars, receive a raise the minimum wage, but because size the solid economic arguments that tax credit for their education contribu- of the procedural restrictions we face this increase, like all previous in- tions above the current state of min- on the floor some are going to be left creases, will benefit the entire econ- imum wage.

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE H272 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2007 b 1145 Americans without health insurance, that is not true at all and that rhetoric In effect, rather than a jobs bank, 60 percent are small business employ- doesn’t comport with reality. 650 create a skills bank for workers in the ees and their families. By allowing economists say otherwise; reality says 21st century. Give workers an oppor- small businesses to join together and otherwise. The fact of the matter is tunity to get out of a struggling job purchase health insurance through na- that the Fiscal Policy Institute reports that leads nowhere and give businesses tional associations at group rates, it that States with a higher minimum the skilled workers they need to com- will lower insurance premiums by up to wage than that have added jobs to the pete and win against international 30 percent. retail industry. competition. We have done it before Small business health plans, or asso- We have to move in the right direc- with welfare. The Republican Congress ciation health plans, as they are also tion with this bill. and Democrat President worked to- known, are not a new idea. Since first Mr. MCCRERY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 gether. We sent a strong signal we being introduced in the 104th Congress, minute to the gentleman from New would no longer give up on workers, a variation of small business health Jersey (Mr. GARRETT). relegating them to a subsistence living plan legislation has passed the full Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. generation after generation. We ought House on six different occasions, in- Speaker, I rise to oppose this harmful to do it again. cluding during the 109th Congress when legislation and to oppose the Demo- I oppose this bill. 36 Democrats voted for it. crats’ plan to interfere with and inter- Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. An increase to the minimum wage ject themselves in individuals’ personal Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the does not come without a cost, and that decisions as to where they are going to gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. cost is going to be borne by our Na- work. YARMUTH) on behalf of raising the min- tion’s small businesses. Therefore, it I also stand here, actually, in awe of imum wage. makes perfect sense to me that Con- the omniscient view the other side of Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, it is gress should offset the cost of the wage the aisle has of themselves, this all- with great pride that I rise for the first increase with a decrease in the cost of knowing, all-seeing view that they time in this body in support of Amer- providing health insurance. know better than families do as to ican working families. Mr. Speaker, I am going to vote where they are going to work and Teddy Roosevelt first suggested that ‘‘yes’’ on increasing the minimum wage micromanage their lives. Regardless of all hardworking Americans should earn no matter what. But I am also going to whether it is a kid in Iowa after school what he called a living wage. Today, a vote ‘‘yes’’ to increase workers’ job se- working on a farm throwing hay or it century later, millions of Americans curity by lowering the health insur- is a woman in Chicago working at a have been denied his great vision due ance costs for small businesses through high-tech plant on an assembly line or to baseless fear tactics involving un- AHPs, and I urge my colleagues to do it is a man in New York going back as employment and a slowed economy. the same. a second career trying to get a job in But America’s minimum wage was Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. the finance industry, the other side of raised regularly for 60 years, and the Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄2 minutes to the the aisle would tell us that each one of economy grew, in no small part due to gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. those individuals should be paid ex- those actions. TIERNEY), a member of the committee. actly the same, regardless of their age, Raising the minimum wage never led Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank regardless of the work, regardless of to unemployment. It always forced the gentleman from California for their experience, regardless of demo- higher wages across the board, and it yielding. graphics, and regardless of the cost of helped to forge a healthy and vibrant Mr. Speaker, I am glad to be able to living in those areas. I tell you, Mr. economy. rise today in support of this increase in Speaker, it is unfair. In my district, 30,000 men and women the minimum wage. We should all be a And, finally, Mr. Speaker, this body, go to work every day working for min- bit ashamed of the fact that it has been which has been unable to get its fi- imum wage and come home to a life of 10 years since we have had the last in- nances and house in order for the last poverty. It is our responsibility, our crease. Every year low-wage workers 40 years, is in no position to be telling moral obligation, indeed, our great op- are left behind while CEOs get more the American public and the families portunity to ensure that all hard- and more money. This is not some of this country how they should be get- working Americans have the oppor- valid exercise of a well-oiled free enter- ting their finances in order. tunity to provide for themselves and prise system. This is a disgrace, and This is an unfair bill, Mr. Speaker, their families. We have the unique op- most Americans are repulsed by that and I oppose this legislation. portunity to approach Teddy Roo- fact. Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. sevelt’s vision that, for an American Some people here are trying to make Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄2 minutes to the who works hard, a living wage is the the case today that there is some ben- gentleman from New York (Mr. absolute minimum. efit of a full-time worker making ARCURI). I urge my colleagues to supports the $10,700 a year, leaving a family of three Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Speaker, I thank measure. $6,000 below the poverty level. There my colleague from California for yield- Mr. MCCRERY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 can be no benefit, Mr. Speaker, in that ing. minutes to the gentleman from Florida condition. Mr. Speaker, it is with tremendous (Mr. KELLER). Let us be clear. Raising the min- pride that I rise today to deliver my Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Speak- imum wage is going to dramatically first formal remarks on the floor of er, I thank the gentleman for yielding. improve the lives of millions of Ameri- this fine institution on such an impor- Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my cans, whether Milton Friedman agrees tant issue. That, of course, is providing colleagues to support the Working or not. When you make $4,400 more a a fair and decent wage to our Nation’s Families Wage and Access to Health year than you made in the past year, most economically disadvantaged. Care Act. This vital legislation will full-time year-round workers with a Nine years is far too long for anyone benefit employees by increasing the family of three can afford a year’s to wait for a wage increase, especially Federal minimum wage from $5.15 per worth of groceries. They can afford 11⁄2 a single mother who works 40 hours a hour to $7.25 per hour, while also help- years of heat and electricity. They can week but still has to face the decision ing employers provide affordable, qual- afford 9 months of rent, and they can of whether to buy food or medicine for ity health insurance through small afford the full 2-year tuition for a com- her children. I find it unconscionable business health plans. munity college degree for a parent or a that, in a country as rich as ours, any- During my 6 years serving the people child. That is how we get Americans on one working full time should have to of Central Florida, I have met with lit- the prosperity ladder. That is how we make such a decision. erally hundreds of small business own- give them opportunity. Opponents argue that raising the ers. Their number one concern has con- There are those that argue that the minimum wage will only stifle eco- sistently been the skyrocketing cost of increase in the minimum wage is going nomic growth and force employers to health insurance. Of the 45 million to hurt the economy. I suggest that lay off workers. I couldn’t disagree

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 10, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H273 more. For starters, the logic just But what is also interesting is that 85 are doing something to ease that strug- doesn’t add up. Take, for instance, a percent of the people who make min- gle. small family-owned mom and pop gro- imum wage are well above the poverty Raising the minimum wage is a first cery store in Upstate New York, which level. Why? Because 52 percent of the step and a clear signal that we in Con- I represent. Some argue that the own- people on minimum wage are teen- gress will do something. Raising the ers of that store would have to hang up agers, 30 percent are part time, and 40 Federal minimum wage from $5.15 to a going out of business sign on their percent have never had a job before. In $7.25 an hour will add $4,400 to the in- window because of the costs associated fact, if we want to take a real serious come of full-time year-round workers, with the wage increase. But that look at poverty, we need to look at the enough for a low-income family of thinking only looks at half the issue. correlation between poverty and hours three to afford a year of groceries. The additional business that they will worked a week. The reality is so many Mr. Speaker, it has been 10 years get as a result of the more disposable people are working less than 40 hours a since our lowest-paid workers got a income that people have to spend in week. raise. In intervening years we in this their store would clearly make up for The second point, very important, is body have seen many pay raises. Amer- it. marriage. If you want to get a lot of icans in the top income brackets have Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of the children who are in poverty out of seen their earnings soar. On top of a Congress that will not maintain the poverty right now, get the mom and that, they have been the biggest bene- status quo, and I urge my colleagues to dad to marry each other. ficiaries of generous tax cuts. support this long-overdue wage in- Now, that wasn’t in the first 100-hour I urge all my colleagues to support crease, not because it is the easy thing agenda. I understand. We are rolling this legislation. to do but because it is the right thing out the moldy, oldie golden hits of b 1200 to do. Democrat thought. But let’s get into Mr. MCCRERY. Mr. Speaker, at this Mr. MCCRERY. Mr. Speaker, I yield poverty and let’s have some real hear- time I would yield 2 minutes to a dis- 21⁄2 minutes to the gentleman from ings. tinguished member of the Ways and Georgia (Mr. KINGSTON). Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Means Committee, the gentleman from Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. thank the gentleman from Louisiana Texas (Mr. SAM JOHNSON). Essentially, the case that the gen- Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. for yielding. tleman from Georgia makes, it just I find today a lot of questions, a lot Speaker, while I am not sold on the ef- doesn’t reflect the reality on the of unanswered questions, and a lot of fectiveness of a minimum wage in- ground. As those States have increased half decent debate going on. crease, I rise in support of increasing I wonder, first of all, why we didn’t the minimum wage far above the Fed- the number of Americans with health bring this bill through committee. Cer- eral minimum wage, their economies insurance. tainly if it is a good idea, it would have have expanded, job hiring has ex- Too many working Americans have a been something worth debating and panded, business growth has expanded job but aren’t insured because their perhaps some amendments. But under far faster than in those States that employers cannot afford to purchase the new ‘‘open rule’’ Democrat Party, I thought it was in their interest to keep quality health care plans. This is par- understand we can bypass the com- a lower minimum wage. ticularly true of small businesses mittee and not have any hearings or And I also find it interesting that in where it is difficult to pool risk, and amendments. my own State of California the busi- the regulatory environment is over- The next question is, why are so ness organizations support an increase whelmingly complicated. Currently, many people who were opposed to the in minimum wage to $8 an hour and our small businesses are denied the ability Bush tax cut for the lower income economy continues to grow and con- to purchase health coverage with the going from 15 percent to 10 percent tax tinues to add those jobs. So the real- benefits large companies and unions bracket, why are they now so compas- world experience is different than data have enjoyed for decades. sionate to the poor? from 20 years ago. So today, as part of a comprehensive And I have to ask, also, why are you Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the motion to recommit, the Republicans stopping at $7 an hour? If it is good for gentleman from Texas (Mr. HINOJOSA), will offer a proposal to address health the economy and good for the workers, a member of the committee. care for many small businesses: asso- as we keep hearing over and over Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise ciation health plans. AHPs would in- again, why do we stop at $7 an hour, in strong support of H.R. 2. crease small businesses’ bargaining this arbitrary number? Nobody can I am proud that 110th Congress has power with health care providers, give make a living at $14,000 a year. Why made giving America’s lowest-paid them much-needed freedom from a not go to $8 an hour, $9 an hour, $10, $20 workers a raise one of its first legisla- costly State-mandated benefit package an hour? Heck, if it is good for the tive actions. It is long overdue. and lower their overhead costs by as economy, let us go to $50 an hour. And Many families work hard but strug- much as 30 percent. if we had a committee hearing, maybe gle with low wages. It is unconscion- By pooling their resources and in- we could have some answers on that. able that in America we have millions creasing their bargaining power, AHPs Question: If it is so good for the econ- of people working full time and year will help small businesses reduce their omy, why does the Congressional Budg- round and still living in poverty. At health insurance coverage costs. As et Office rate it as a $5 to $7 billion un- $5.15 an hour, a full-time minimum you have heard me say before, if it is funded mandate on our small busi- wage worker brings home $10,700 a good enough for Wall Street, it is good nesses, which are the economic engines year, nearly $6,000 below the poverty enough for Main Street. of the economy? How come the Hoover level for a family of three. An average By making health care more afford- Institute estimates that it will actu- Fortune 500 CEO earns more before able, AHPs will expand access to qual- ally get 20 percent of the minimum lunchtime than a minimum wage work- ity health care for people for whom it wage workers out of work because peo- er makes all year. is currently out of reach: uninsured ple will say you are not worth that American families have seen the real working families. That is something much money? Those are questions that income drop by almost $1,300 since 2000, my friends on both sides of the aisle we don’t have answers to. while the costs of gasoline, heating can agree on. Another question that I have is we fuel, and health care have soared. For It is no wonder my AHP bill has had keep hearing that the minimum wage families living on minimum wage, this unwavering bipartisan support in the hasn’t been increased in 9 years, when, means a greater struggle to put food on House for nearly a decade now. I look in fact, since 1997, 29 States have in- the table and pay the rent. Minimum forward to working with my colleagues creased their minimum wages. We do wage families struggle with the cost of to make AHPs law this year. Small not hear about that because I guess we daycare and health care. They struggle businesses need help now. Vote ‘‘yes’’ are against States’ rights in any form to provide a sound education for their on the motion to recommit. around here. That seems to be a taboo children, and for many college is a Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. kind of thing. dream beyond their reach. Today, we Mr. Speaker, I yield 13⁄4 minutes to the

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE H274 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2007 gentleman from Oregon (Mr. WU), a crease inflation. In fact, in the four years after care through small business health member of the committee. the last minimum wage increase passed, the plans, an important priority that has (Mr. WU asked and was given permis- economy experienced its strongest growth in long enjoyed broad, bipartisan support. sion to revise and extend his remarks.) over three decades. Yet a minimum wage in- Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on the Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I have a state- crease does raise the wages of low-income other side of the aisle, particularly the ment which I will submit for the workers in general, even those who earn more newly elected Members of the new ma- RECORD, but I want to speak for a mo- than the minimum wage, the ‘‘lifting all boats’’ jority, should be asking themselves a ment from my personal experience. effect of an increase in the minimum wage. It question this morning: Why is their I have owned a business. I have met moves working families out of poverty. Democratic leadership forcing them to a payroll. But I have also worked for Unfortunately, the Republicans leadership vote against a commonsense, bipar- relatively low wages. I have worked in has resisted all efforts to increase the min- tisan approach that the Democratic decommissioned ships that were both imum wage. leader in the other body has already extremely hot in the hold and also The Fair Minimum Wage Act, of which I am embraced? In addition to being a filled with asbestos. I have worked in a proud to be an original cosponsor, will raise missed opportunity to address the real dog food factory. But my real min- the minimum wage to $7.25 over a 2-year pe- needs of small business, this is just bad imum wage job was as an assistant riod. politics by this untested majority. dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant It is time to raise the minimum wage. No Mr. Speaker, this could have been a owned by friends of my parents. I saw one should work full time jobs, or even work much better bill if Democrats had ful- how hard those full-time workers multiple jobs, and still live in poverty. filled their promises to go through the worked. Mr. MCCRERY. Mr. Speaker, just in regular committee process. If the new I was an assistant dishwasher, and I response to the gentleman from Or- majority had allowed the Ways and saw how the full-time dishwasher got egon, no one here is suggesting that Means Committee an opportunity to his fingers burned, how the cooks got government does not have a legitimate fully debate the issue, I am confident their hands cut. And they worked for role to play in protecting workers’ we could have put together a balanced minimum wage just like me, but I was rights. That is not the point of the al- and bipartisan package and met the a teenager. And I came home to my ternative that we are trying to offer needs of workers in small businesses. parents’ home. I said to my parents, here today. I voted for the minimum wage in- Those people work awfully hard, and Our point is that the businesses that crease some 5 months ago when 158 of they deserve more. We ought to have a will be most directly impacted by the my Democratic colleagues voted union. I never got to go back to work increased mandated burden of costs against it. They missed an opportunity at my parents’ friends’ restaurant. need to be helped so that we minimize then. They are missing one now. I urge There are times when there is un- the job loss that we know will come as support of the Republican alternative. equal bargaining power, when there are a result of that. Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. market failures, and there is a very le- So I agree with the gentleman: There Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 15 seconds. gitimate role for the public sector and is a legitimate role, and we are not ar- Mr. Speaker, I noticed in the Con- for joint action. guing that. In fact, our alternative gressional Daily that the Republican I ask my friends on the other side of does increase the minimum wage and ranking member on this committee the aisle whether they would roll back gives help to those businesses that will says he does not expect the health care the 40-hour work week. I ask my most directly be impacted. package to be part of minimum wage. friends if they would roll back worker I don’t have time to yield, but I will So, once again, we have a mismatch safety provisions and roll back child talk to the gentleman off the floor. here of hijacking this bill to improve labor laws. Your time has passed a cen- Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the minimum wage for the lowest-wage tury ago. It is long due to pass an in- gentleman from New York (Mr. REY- working people. crease in the minimum wage. NOLDS), another distinguished member Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the I rise in strong support of raising the min- of the Ways and Means Committee. gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. SUTTON). imum wage. (Mr. REYNOLDS asked and was (Ms. SUTTON asked and was given We tend to assume that employment is the given permission to revise and extend permission to revise and extend her re- solution to poverty. And in the past we have his remarks.) marks.) enacted legislation that reflects our commit- Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank ment to training and placing individuals into thank the gentleman for yielding me 2 the kind gentleman from California for jobs. While I strongly support efforts to in- minutes. yielding me this time. crease employment, a job is not the complete Today’s debate is really about missed Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support answer to poverty. Far too many families who opportunities. We all know that small of raising the minimum wage to help work full time still live below the poverty line. businesses are the engines of our Na- our working families. In November, In fact, since the late 1970s, the number of tion’s economic growth and that they many Americans cast their votes for full-time workers who live in poverty has dou- provide the vast majority of jobs in so change because they were tired of the bled. many of our local communities across economic injustices working families The reason for this is our low minimum the country. have suffered over the last decade. wage. In 1996, after a 5-year freeze, Con- But today, the new Democratic ma- Those who went to the polls want ac- gress enacted legislation to raise the minimum jority misses an opportunity, an oppor- tion on a clean bill from a Congress wage from $4.25 an hour to $5.15 an hour— tunity not only to raise the minimum that has failed to raise the Federal still well below the value of the minimum wage wage but to provide urgently needed minimum wage for nearly 10 years. at its in peak in 1968 at $8.49 in 2005 dollars. help to those small businesses and to Voters in Ohio and five other States Now, 10 years have passed without an in- address health care needs of their em- who believed in our democracy passed crease in the minimum wage. Meanwhile, the ployees. minimum wage increases. This is not number of Americans who live in poverty has Mr. Speaker, our Republican alter- only about increasing wages, it is increased by 5.4 million during the Bush ad- native, the Working Families Wage and about changing the way we treat our ministration. Access to Health Care Act, addresses working men and women. And it is Today, a minimum wage worker working full these needs. In addition to providing an about traditional American values of time earns only half the poverty level for a increase to minimum wage, our ap- fairness and opportunity. It is about family of four. A single parent working full time proach would be: extending small busi- paying rent, putting food on the table at the current minimum wage cannot support ness expensing through 2010; it would and paying for our children to go to one child above the poverty threshold. shorten the depreciation period for new college. More than one-quarter, 26 percent, of the restaurant construction through 2007; Mr. Speaker, the voters have given us 13 million workers who would benefit from a and it would end an unnecessary surtax a mandate. This is part of America’s minimum wage increase are parents. Sixty that is an extra burden on low-income agenda. Today we act mindful of that percent of these workers are women. workers. mandate to help working families History has shown that a minimum wage in- Our approach also would be to expand across this Nation by raising the min- crease does not decrease employment or in- workers’ access to affordable health imum wage.

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 10, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H275 Mr. MCCRERY. Mr. Speaker, I yield leisure and hospitality industries—are in de- sibly suggests that each state should be al- the balance of my time to the gen- cline. These jobs will be further threatened lowed to set a lower minimum. tleman from New York (Mr. REY- by the prospect of a federal minimum wage It should be the same everywhere: $0. hike, warns the Employment Policies Insti- Labor is a commodity; governments make NOLDS), and I ask unanimous consent tute (EPI). messes when they decree commodities’ that he be allowed to control that Decades of economic research prove that prices. Washington, which has its hands full time. raising the minimum wage reduces job op- delivering the mail and defending the shores, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there portunities, particularly for people with few should let the market do well what Wash- objection to the request of the gen- skills. When faced with the increase in labor ington does poorly. But that is a good idea tleman from Louisiana? costs that attend minimum wage hikes, em- whose time will never come again. There was no objection. ployers often respond by hiring more skilled Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. applicants, automating jobs, or cutting back Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I now Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the call upon the distinguished gentleman on customer service. Contrary to the opinion of proponents of gentleman from Arizona (Mr. from Texas, Mr. Pete Sessions, for 2 minimum wage hikes, a rising tide doesn’t GRIJALVA), a member of the com- minutes. necessarily lift all boats, and an extremely mittee. (Mr. SESSIONS asked and was given healthy skilled job market often masks an Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I rise permission to revise and extend his re- ailing low-skilled job market. in support of H.R. 2 to give the Amer- marks.) ‘‘The unintended consequences of a min- ican people who have to work the hard- imum wage hike will disproportionately af- Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I in- est for the very least a long overdue clude for the RECORD a press release by fect low-skilled jobs while skilled labor may continue to flourish,’’ said Jill Jenkins, raise and increase the minimum wage. the Employment Policies Institute and The current minimum wage has ef- an op-ed by George Will that was in the EPI’s chief economist. ‘‘In other words, if two computer programmer jobs are created fectively knocked off the lowest rungs Dallas Morning News on this issue. and one less grocery store checker is hired, of the economic ladder of this country Mr. Speaker, I rise today opposed to the net job creation is positive, but you’re and kept millions of our Nation’s work- this bill, this bill that did not go still seeing a decline in entry-level job op- ing families in a paycheck-to-paycheck through regular order nor through the portunities.’’ life of insecurity and struggle. Rules Committee, not even to be a se- A study by economists at the Federal Re- Today’s economy is keeping millions cret vote in the Rules Committee. And serve found that every 10% increase in the of our fellow Americans from owning I argue against this bill for the reasons minimum wage leads to a 2%-3% decrease in homes, achieving stability and pros- we have not had a chance to vet the employment overall. When you focus on the job loss suffered by low-skilled individuals perity. Low wages are slowly suffo- bill, to tell the truth that there will be such as high school drop-outs or minority cating the American Dream. Today we over 1.6 million people that will lose teens, the increase in unemployment is as take a deep breath. their job directly related to this action high as 8.5% for every 10% increase in the The day has finally come when Con- by Washington, D.C., The Federalist minimum wage, according to research from gress has a chance to reward work and Society, the Democratic Party in Cornell and the University of Connecticut. support families by putting a fair value Washington, D.C., who will control not ‘‘Instead of pushing for a minimum wage on the work of our people. Today we only their jobs but take away from increase, lawmakers could affect real change can say clearly that family values small businesses the opportunity to be by promoting expansion of the Earned In- come Tax Credit (EITC),’’ added Jenkins. should not be code for spiteful and divi- competitive in a competitive world. ‘‘The EITC effectively targets benefits to sive politics but a real policy of val- Mr. Speaker, we are going to cause families in need without jeopardizing jobs.’’ uing families and the work of mothers these 1.6 million people to lose their and fathers. jobs as a result of their inability to be GEORGE WILL: HERE’SABETTER PROPOSAL Today is a historic day. I am proud able to compete in marketplaces and to FOR THE MINIMUM WAGE to join with my colleagues in support raise their own wages. A federal minimum wage is an idea whose Mr. Speaker, I will tell you that time came in 1938, when public confidence in of H.R. 2 in raising the minimum wage these 1.6 million jobs were important markets was at a nadir and the federal gov- for American workers. to families and people. It may not be ernment’s confidence in itself was at an apo- Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 much of a job. It may be in a small gee. Today, raising the federal minimum 1 ⁄2 minutes to the gentleman from wage is a bad idea whose time has come for Georgia (Mr. GINGREY). rural community, but they were jobs two reasons: that were important to those people. Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, the min- The first is that some Democrats have a imum wage has not increased in 9 They are jobs, even if not high-paying chronic and evidently incurable disease— jobs, that would provide them the op- New Deal Nostalgia. Second, the president years. Yet over the past decade, we portunity to get up and find self-worth has endorsed raising the hourly minimum have experienced vast economic and go and do their very best, perhaps from $5.15 to $7.25 by the spring of 2009. growth, record low unemployment and, not just with limited resources but Democrats consider the minimum wage in- in the last 3 years, the creation of 7 with the very best that community crease a signature issue. Yet consider these million new jobs. Without a doubt, at statistics: 4.5 percent, our unemployment rate is may offer. Most of the working poor earn more than These are the types of stories that so low that some employers seek out il- the minimum wage, and most of the 0.6 per- legal foreign workers to fill the jobs would be told if we had followed reg- cent (479,000 in 2005) of America’s wage work- ular order, if the committees had been ers earning the minimum are not poor. that they say a lot of Americans won’t able to vet this, if we had known more Only one in five workers earning the fed- take. about the ability to hear experts tes- eral minimum lives in a family with a house- If we raise the minimum wage, busi- tify about what is actually going to hold earning below the poverty line. nesses will have to find a way to offset happen. Sixty percent work part-time, and their added labor costs by one of two things, We hear the words about food on the average household income is well over raising prices on goods and services or $40,000. (The average and median household table. We hear about having people laying off workers. This is simple eco- incomes are $63,344 and $46,326 respectively.) nomics that many of my colleagues on earn more money. That is great. But The federal minimum wage has not been 1.6 million jobs will be lost from our raised since 1997, so 29 states with 70 percent the other side of the aisle cannot seem economy as a result of what the Demo- of the nation’s workforce have raised their to accept or understand. When prices crat Party does. I say, shame on us. I own minimum wages. The problem is that go up, demands go down. In other will oppose this. I will be for the Re- demand for almost everything is elastic: words, as the minimum wage grows, so publican alternative that encourages When the price of something goes up, de- does the unemployment rate. better jobs. mand for it goes down. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, unlike But suppose those scholars are correct who EMPLOYMENT POLICIES INSTITUTE: MINIMUM the debate in the Senate, H.R. 2 comes say that when the minimum wage increased to the floor with no committee hear- WAGE HIKE THREATENS HEALTHY U.S. ECON- slowly, the impact on employment is neg- OMY ligible. ings, no committee votes, no opportu- WASHINGTON, DC.—Despite the flourishing Still, because of large differences among nities for amendment. While our col- U.S. economy and record low unemployment states’ costs of living and the nature of their leagues in the other body work on a level, low-skilled jobs—such as the retail and economies, Sen. Jim DeMint, R–S.C., sen- compromise with President Bush,

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE H276 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2007 Members of the House of Representa- which are the backbone of our robust traveling throughout our State visiting tives are shut out of any constructive economy. I am also disappointed that with our small business owners and debate. my Republican colleagues and I will their employees, and they are truly the As a former member of the Rules not have an opportunity to strengthen economic engine of many of our com- Committee, I am extremely dis- this bill by including provisions to help munities in our State. appointed in the majority’s failure to reduce any potential unintended con- In our State, 97 percent of Okla- live up to its promises and allow an sequences that raising the minimum homa’s businesses have 100 or fewer open and fair process on such a crucial wage may have on our employers. For employees and are small businesses, issue. that reason, I intend to support the Re- and employers in our State employ over 600,000 workers that are small b 1215 publican motion to recommit so that we can put more money in the pockets business workers, which means that 50 For the benefit of the workforce, I of hardworking Americans while pro- percent of our jobs are related to small ask my colleagues, vote against the tecting our small businesses. business. minimum wage increase. Protect our Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield Mr. Speaker, my concern is that a 41 small businesses. Let’s sustain this back the balance of my time to the percent increase in the minimum wage economic growth. gentleman from California (Mr. places a real burden on our small busi- Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. MCKEON). nesses. It is a burden that could mean Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without layoffs. It is a burden that could mean gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. objection, the gentleman from Cali- bankruptcy for others. COHEN). fornia will control the time. The Federal Government cannot Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, on Novem- There was no objection. force small businesses to shoulder that ber 7, the voice of the American people Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. burden alone. If the government is to 1 raise our current minimum wage, it rang out clearly across this land: Our Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 ⁄2 minutes to the country is out of balance. The few have gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. must pursue a balanced plan that will prospered while many have languished. PAYNE), a member of the committee. provide serious tax relief and regu- America has become a land of the Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I stand in latory relief to those who will be hit haves and the have-nots. The disparity strong support of the passage of H.R. 2, hardest by a minimum wage increase. of wealth among the richest and poor- the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, A plan without balance will not lift est in this country is the greatest it which would help nearly 13 million up the American workers. It will actu- has been in nearly 100 years. We have American workers and their families ally drag down small business. The laws which provide every sort of tax by increasing the Federal minimum Congressional Budget Office has esti- break for those who are thriving, while wage by $2.10 an hour. Let me thank mated that increasing the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour will cost small the people who are struggling daily to the chairman, GEORGE MILLER, for businesses somewhere between $5 bil- put food on the table and pay their bringing this very important legisla- lion to $7 billion nationwide. And when utility bills have not seen a raise in the tion to the floor. minimum wage in nearly 10 years. The intent of the bill is to raise the small businesses fail, minimum wage Seven dollars and twenty-five cents. minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an earners will suffer. The Hoover Insti- tute estimates that fully 1.5 million Seven dollars and twenty-five cents. hour, but let me just say this: When I small business workers nationwide Many haves in this country spend that hear naysayers say that this will elimi- may lose their jobs if an unbalanced much each day on their Starbucks with nate jobs, back in 1994, when New Jer- a dollop or a twist. Those of us who minimum wage hike is passed. sey had the highest minimum wage in So it is clear to me that a minimum don’t struggle to make ends meet, this the country, we compared the job wage increase plan without a plan to is truly the time to walk in our broth- growth of low-income jobs in New Jer- offset the burden placed upon small er’s and our sister’s shoes, shoes that sey to those in Pennsylvania. Not only business will be harmful to our econ- need soling, not polishing. was there no negative impact on low- omy, and this Congress must not sabo- This is not just an economic issue, it income jobs in New Jersey, but actu- tage the machine which powers our is a moral issue. Prosperity is not the ally during that period of time, in the economy and gives life to so many of property of the few, it should also be middle nineties, the minimum wage our communities, which is small busi- available to the least of us. jobs in New Jersey grew at a higher ness. We must help our Nation’s work- As I left the Memphis airport, a hard- rate than they did in Pennsylvania, ers in a responsible fashion and avoid a working man for Northwest Airlines which proved that the increase in the plan which I believe is well-intentioned said to me, Congressman, will you pass minimum wage did not run jobs out of but could be devastating to employers the minimum wage? To him and many the area. That was done by the Amer- and employees alike. others, the thousands in District Nine, ican Economic Review. It is for this reason that I strongly I say, yes, we will do that. Just recently, a survey was taken encourage my colleagues to reject any- This is an opportunity for us to help that showed that 83 percent of Ameri- thing short of a balanced plan to raise people who need help. And I say to my cans support an increase of $2 or more the minimum wage unless one has a fellow so-called ‘‘do-gooders’’ of the in the minimum wage, and a survey plan that offsets the burden placed world, let us make America more fair, this week from the Associated Press upon small business and has serious more humane and more just. found that 80 percent of Americans and appropriate tax and regulatory re- Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield support an increase in the rate. So lief. 1 minute to the gentleman from Flor- there has been consistent support from Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. ida (Mr. BILIRAKIS), for his first floor the public in the United States of Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the speech as a new Member of the House America. That is why we going in a gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. of Representatives. new direction. SHULER). Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I am Mr. SHULER. Mr. Speaker, I thank thank the gentleman for yielding. happy to yield 3 minutes to the the gentleman from California. I rise today in support of House Reso- gentlelady from Oklahoma (Ms. Mr. Speaker, it has been 10 long lution 2, the Fair Minimum Wage Act, FALLIN), a new Member of this Con- years since Congress has raised the to increase our Nation’s minimum gress, for her maiden speech on the minimum wage. This is the longest pe- wage. It has been nearly a decade since House floor. riod between raises in the minimum this standard has been updated. I am Ms. FALLIN. Mr. Speaker, it is a wage since it was enacted in 1938. The pleased that we are here today to give great pleasure to be here today. American people have spoken very many hardworking men and women a Mr. Speaker, over the past 12 years, I clearly. It is time to raise the wages of much-needed raise. have had the opportunity to serve as our lowest-paid workers. I am concerned, however, that the Oklahoma’s Lieutenant Governor and, Our families have been squeezed: an bill in its current form may adversely more importantly, Oklahoma’s official increase at the gas pump, an increase impact our Nation’s small businesses, small business advocate. I spent years at the grocery store, an increase in

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 10, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H277 health care and an increase in up my gas tank. We are very privileged b 1230 childcare. It is time that we give back. here to make a very nice salary. Yet Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. As a part of Congress, we should be an we are denying those that need our Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the example. We shouldn’t always be fol- help the most to give them some sort gentlewoman from California (Ms. lowing our States, as my great State of of life. $7.25. Who the heck can live on LEE), a long-time battler for economic North Carolina has increased the min- that, even if you work 60 hours a week? and social justice. imum wage. We should be leading by And, by the way, these people that are Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to example. working these jobs on minimum wage thank the gentleman for his bold and That is why it gives me great privi- usually have two jobs, sometimes consistent leadership to raise the min- lege to support this bill. It is our moral three. imum wage. This is an important eth- commitment to the families of this It is time that we do this. It is the ical and moral issue that speaks di- country, and that is why I strongly moral and right thing. rectly to our values as Americans. It is support this measure. Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I would a shame and disgrace that in the Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I am be happy to yield 2 minutes to the gen- wealthiest and most powerful country happy to yield 2 minutes to the gen- tleman from North Carolina (Mr. in the world, 37 million people live in tleman from South Carolina (Mr. WIL- MCHENRY). poverty. Raising the minimum wage is SON), a member of the committee. Mr. MCHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank one major step to reduce poverty, and Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. my colleague from California for yield- we must do this. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. ing this time. As a former small business owner, I Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposi- Mr. Speaker, I think there is a crit- can tell you that small businesses are tion to H.R. 2 and in favor of the alter- ical point that is being overlooked in more profitable when workers are native. Circumventing market forces this debate on the minimum wage. We treated fairly. Thirteen million Ameri- to mandate an arbitrary Federal min- need to talk about the people that this cans, many of whom are women and imum wage increase is bad economic minimum wage increase will be a bar- people of color, will benefit from this policy. If it is done, however, we must rier to their employment, for example, increase. offer protection for America’s small the physically, emotionally and men- Let us live up to our moral responsi- businesses. Refusing to do so will ulti- tally handicapped in this country. bility and help the least of these who mately hurt the very workers it in- I have in my district, in Cleveland struggle each and every day just to tends to help. County, Cleveland Vocational Indus- make ends meet. They deserve this in- We all want employees to make more tries, a community-based organization. crease, and they have earned it. Let us than the minimum wage; and, through What they do is they train workers do the right thing and pass H.R. 2 in tax cuts, 7.3 million jobs have been cre- with disabilities to fulfill certain as- the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, ated in the past 40 months by workers sembly line packing and labeling Jr., whose birthday we celebrate on keeping their own money. projects, what some of us would call Monday, who died, who gave his life When the minimum wage is in- menial labor or very simple tasks. But seeking justice for sanitation workers. creased, unfunded mandated costs on it is a very positive thing. It is a great Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I am small businesses increase. As a result, way to train and employ people that happy now to yield 2 minutes to our business owners must be forced to cut otherwise cannot be trained and em- new colleague, my neighbor from Cali- jobs or reduce entry level workers to ployed. fornia (Mr. MCCARTHY). avoid incurring additional expenses. What is going to happen is these are Mr. MCCARTHY of California. I Republicans are seeking to provide about 8 percent of the total minimum thank the gentleman from California relief for these businesses by offering wage earners in this country, those for yielding. alternative health care plans and tax with disabilities. What that is going to Mr. Speaker, I believe Congress is a incentives. Unfortunately, House do is harm them in their ability to get marketplace of ideas, and at the end of Democratic leadership has shunned the contracts with businesses. the day, the best ideas should win. Un- proposal supported by Senate majority This is a very nice idea, to raise peo- fortunately, with the process today, leader HARRY REID, President Bush and ple’s wages, but the impact it is going that will not happen. House Republicans. to have among the least among us will Allowing a vote on an alternative I urge my colleagues on both sides of be that they will simply not have a job. minimum wage approach is in Amer- the aisle to support the Republican al- I think that is being lost in this de- ica’s best interest. Republicans offer a ternative, which will ensure businesses bate, and I think that is what we need balanced approach to increase the min- receive the protections they need and to be concerned about. imum wage and provide offset tax re- our economy continues to thrive. Let’s talk about the facts about the lief for small businesses to take on the In conclusion, God bless our troops. minimum wage. That is what is lost increased labor cost for the minimum We will never forget September 11. here. This is high-minded rhetoric. wage hike. Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. What the Democrat majority wants to The unbalanced approach of the Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the do, Mr. Speaker, is use other people’s Democratic bill, H.R. 2, to solely in- gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. money to pay other people. Well, that crease the minimum wage is irrespon- MCCARTHY), a member of the com- is a very nice thing to do, a nice offer, sible. Never mind that the basic eco- mittee. a very nice thing, to write a check for nomic statement setting an artificial Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York. Mr. somebody else. price floor like the minimum wage Speaker, I thank my chairman of edu- All right. Let them pay somebody could actually raise unemployment. cation for bringing this important mat- else. That is a nice obligation that we The Federal Reserve study states ter to the floor. are passing on, this unfunded mandate. that if H.R. 2 is enacted, a million res- Mr. Speaker, I know Congress isn’t Eighty-five percent of minimum taurant workers could lose their jobs. used to having straight, clean bills. We wage earners in this country are teens I can tell you, as a former small busi- can do this. Ten years I have been in or adults who live alone or second ness owner, personally, this is a tough Congress, and 10 years we have been earners; a married couple, one goes and decision. I came to Congress to work to trying to get the minimum wage works part-time. Eighty-five percent of increase opportunities for all Ameri- raised. We talk about small business. them fall in those categories. So they cans, not to harm workers and small There is not one person on the Demo- are talking about making a minimum businesses. I listened to the debate cratic side that doesn’t support small wage on this and providing for a family today, and I listened to the other side, businesses, but we also support those of 10, or whatever. It is just empty as a freshman. If you look at the Re- people that are trying to make a living rhetoric and crazy talk. publican bill, it is a compromise. It is wage. So let’s talk about affecting and a common solution. The minimum By estimates, there are 623,000 single helping people through training and ac- wage will be increased, but what else women raising families trying to make cess to health care and support the Re- will happen? There will be greater a living. I go to the grocery store. I fill publican alternative. healthcare for the workers. There will

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE H278 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2007 be tax relief where you can expense off port released by the U.S. Census Bu- Senator from Texas Ralph Yarbrough when he when you are buying business equip- reau, are opening businesses at a rate said ‘‘Let’s put the jam on the lower shelf for ment. What happens? The workers of that is three times as fast as the na- the people.’’ America are more competitive in a tional average. This increase will provide much needed help global economy for the 21st century. Only one bill, the Working Families to the lowest wage earners of our country. And I ask my colleagues on the other Wage and Access to Health Care Act, Their needs and dreams are not different than side; last week on this floor I listened offers a balanced approach that would anyone else’s. closely to what our Speaker said. provide for a minimum wage increase These wage-earners want to earn a decent Speaker PELOSI said, ‘‘Let’s work in a without threatening the backbone of wage and be able to put dinner on the table spirit of partnership, not partisan- our economy or penalizing small busi- and provide for their families. ship.’’ Well, I will tell you, the Repub- nesses. Our bill increases the minimum It is not too much to ask that we raise the lican bill is just that, it is a partner- wage in exactly the same increments minimum wage after a decade of taking no ac- ship that lets the power of the idea win as the bill before us today but also ex- tion on this important part of the American at the end of the day. pands affordable health care to many economy. Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. of the working families benefiting from Passing this bill today is a step in the right Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄4 minutes to the the increase and includes some impor- direction and I urge my colleagues to vote in gentleman from California (Mr. BACA). tant tax protection alternatives for favor of this resolution and put the jam on the Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in sup- small businesses and their workers. lower shelf. port of H.R. 2 and thank the gentleman The Working Families and Access to Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, might I from California for being bold enough Health Care Act should be carefully inquire as to the remaining time. to carry this important legislation to considered and, at the very least, de- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- help the American people. serves to be discussed. tleman from California has 33 minutes, I rise today to call for a vote to raise Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. and the gentleman from northern Cali- the minimum wage. This increase must Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the fornia has 47 minutes. happen for humanitarian justice. gentleman from Texas (Mr. GENE Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I am Americans are suffering. GREEN). happy now to yield to the gentleman Let’s get back to basics. The min- Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. from California, a good friend and col- imum wage has not increased. The Speaker, I rise in support of this ex- league, Mr. ROHRABACHER, 4 minutes. minimum wage was passed 10 years tremely important legislation for Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I ago, and during the 10 years, people America’s workers. The last 10 years rise in opposition to this proposal to have struggled to put food on the table, we have seen these tired old Repub- increase the minimum wage by $2.10 an gas prices have increased, the cost of lican arguments against increasing the hour over the next 2 years. public transportation has increased, minimum wage while the huge wealth What we are witnessing today, of the cost of clothes has increased, the of the highest paid in our country in- course, is the quintessential example of cost of housing has increased, the cost creases. We have not raised the min- political figures offering something for of buying food has increased, not to imum wage since 1997. When adjusted nothing. We can just bestow upon the mention every other cost of living in for inflation, the minimum wage is the American people $2.10 an hour, and America has increased. lowest it has been in 50 years. That is there is no cost to it. Well, if that is This bill is not about continued greed 10 years of wasted opportunity on this really the case, and there is no down- or about outsourcing, but it is about floor that is being corrected today. side, why are we such pikers? Why are American families and improving their A minimum wage worker full-time we not offering a minimum wage hike quality of life. makes $10,700 a year. That is well of $5 an hour? Or $10? Or maybe even Let’s get back to basics: $5.15 an hour below the poverty level. We need to $20 an hour more? We know that that is is poverty. We need this bill because 40 provide a lift for these hardworking not realistic because there is a down- percent of minimum wage workers are Americans. I agree with the late U.S. side that can be calculated. In fact, by the sole bread winners in their fami- Senator from Texas, Ralph mandating the pay raises that we are lies. Nineteen percent of minimum Yarborough, when he said, ‘‘Let’s put talking about today, economists have wage earners are Hispanic Americans, the jam on the lower shelf for the peo- estimated that about 1.6 million peo- and 15 percent are African Americans. ple.’’ ple, the people at the very bottom rung It is time. It is time to care for work- This increase will provide much of our economic ladder, will be put ing families of America and to give needed help to the lowest wage earners through great hardship. They won’t be them a wage that is just, a wage that in our country. Their needs and dreams hired, or they will be fired because is fair. are no different from anyone else’s. their salary now must be allocated in Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I am These wage earners want to earn a de- these small businesses which, of happy now to yield 11⁄2 minutes to the cent wage to be able to put dinner on course, is where most of the employ- gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. the table for their families. It is not ment takes place, their salaries will FORTUN˜ O), a member of the committee. too much to ask that we raise the min- now have to be allocated to the other Mr. FORTUN˜ O. I thank the gen- imum wage after a decade of taking no employees. Yes, there is a cost to pay tleman from California. action on this important part of the when you mandate someone in their Mr. Speaker, I stand here today in American economy. operation gets paid more money, and strong support of a Federal minimum Passing this bill today is the right the burden will be borne by the very wage increase that is applicable under step, and I urge my colleagues to sup- lowest level of employees. That is what the same terms and conditions to all 50 port it. this proposal is all about. States and Puerto Rico. I support a I rise today to support his extremely impor- Now, there is a way to actually help Federal minimum wage increase be- tant legislation for America’s workers. The last people have higher salaries. I happen to cause it would strengthen the economy ten years we have seen these tired old Re- believe in high wages. I am not a pro- as well as provide long overdue benefits publican arguments against increasing the management guy. I believe in higher to our working, middle-class families minimum wage while the huge wealth in- wages for the American people, and who are the backbone of our Nation’s creases of the highest paid in our country. there is a way that we can achieve economy. We have not raised the minimum wage higher wages for the American people, However, I am concerned that the since 1997. When adjusted for inflation, the especially those at the lowest income. bill under consideration, while seeking minimum wage is the lowest it’s been in 50 But those who are advocating that we a long-awaited increase in the Federal years. That’s 10 years of wasted opportunity. raise the minimum wage wouldn’t minimum wage, does nothing to offset A minimum wage earner working full-time think about advocating this solution. the impact on small businesses and makes only $10,700 a year. This is well below And that solution is very easy for the their workers. This is particularly im- the poverty threshold for a family of three. American people to understand: We portant for Hispanics in the United We need to provide a lift for these hard have an out-of-control flow of illegal States who, according to a recent re- working Americans. I agree with our late U.S. immigrants into our country. If we

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 10, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H279 would commit ourselves to solving that I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. additional $4,400 a year to meet critical needs problem, to get control of this massive Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2, the such as rent, health care, food and child care. flow of illegals into our country, we ‘‘Fair Minimum Wage Act.’’ With the adoption The increase in the minimum wage before us would have more than a doubling of of this bill, the House of Representatives will today will not allow workers to live as large as this minimum wage. We would have take the first step in making good on its com- the typical CEO, who now earns 821 times wage earners all up and down the scale, mitment to working-class Americans that one more than a minimum wage worker, but at even at the very bottom of the scale, of the first concerns of the Congress is the least it will allow these low-wage workers to help. well-being of ordinary Americans who work make a little better life for themselves and But, no. Why aren’t we doing this? hard, play by the rules, and are struggling to their families. Because, yes, there is a price to pay for get by through no fault of their own. We A minimum wage increase would raise the that as well. Getting control of illegal Democrats promised to chart a new direction wages of millions of workers across America: immigration, making sure that our em- for America if the voters entrusted us with the An estimated 6.6 million workers (5.8 per- ployers are not hiring illegals, who majority. They did and with our votes today in cent of the workforce) would receive an in- would pay that price? People who come support of H.R. 2, we are making good on our crease in their hourly wage rate if the min- to this country illegally would pay promise. imum wage were raised from $5.15 to $7.25 that price. Their lives would be harder. Mr. Speaker, before I discuss the impor- by June 2007. It would be tougher on them. But we tance of this bill in detail, I wish to commend Due to ‘‘spillover effects,’’ the 8.2 million are supposed to be representing the in- Chairman MILLER, Speaker PELOSI, Majority workers (6.5 percent of the workforce) earning terests of the American people. Yes, we Leader HOYER, Majority Whip CLYBURN, and up to a dollar above the minimum would also sympathize with people who come here the rest of the Democratic leadership, as well be likely to benefit from an increase. illegally. We sympathize with those as my colleagues in the Congressional Black Raising the minimum wage will benefit work- people overseas, but if we raise the Caucus, which was led so ably last Congress ing families: minimum wage this way, there will be by Congressman WATT and is now led Con- The earnings of minimum wage workers are more illegals who will come to this gresswoman KILPATRICK. Because of their re- crucial to their families’ well-being. Evidence country to get that higher minimum solve and visionary leadership, more than 13 from the 1996–97 minimum wage increase wage, and our own people at the bot- million workers will soon receive a long over- shows that the average minimum wage worker tom rung of the economic ladder will due raise. What difference an election makes! brings home more than half (54 percent) of his be put out of a job. AMERICANS DESERVE A RAISE or her family’s weekly earnings. Let’s watch out for the interests of H.R. 2 helps the most deserving American An estimated 760,000 single mothers with the American people. Let’s commit families by raising the minimum wage from children under 18 would benefit from a min- ourselves to getting control of the mas- $5.15 to $7.25 over three years. Mr. Speaker, imum wage increase to $7.25 by June 2007. sive flow of illegals into our country, Single mothers would benefit disproportion- did you know that the value of the current min- and then we can raise the wages of ev- ately from an increase—single mothers are imum wage represents a 51-year low? To- eryone. Let’s not offer people stunts 10.4 percent of workers affected by an in- day’s minimum wage of $5.15 today is the and schemes like this of the minimum crease, but they make up only 5.3 percent of equivalent of only $4.23 in 1995, which is wage, of offering them something for the overall workforce. Approximately 1.8 mil- even lower than the $4.25 minimum wage nothing. Let’s really help them out. lion parents with children under 18 would ben- level before the 1996–97 increase. It is scan- Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. efit. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the dalous, Mr. Speaker, that a person can work Contrary to popular myths and urban leg- full-time, 40 hours per week, for 52 weeks, gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. JACK- ends, adults make up the largest share of earning the minimum wage and would gross SON-LEE). workers who would benefit from a minimum (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked just $10,700, which is $5,888 below the wage increase: and was given permission to revise and $16,000 needed to lift a family of three out of Eighty percent of workers whose wages extend her remarks.) poverty. In 2005, the average CEO was paid would be raised by a minimum wage increase Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank 821 times the amount earned yearly by a min- to $7.25 by June 2007 are adults (age 20 or the distinguished chairman of the Edu- imum wage worker. older). cation and Labor Committee and thank Mr. Speaker, since 2000 the cost of college More than half (54 percent) of workers who him for his leadership. tuition has risen 57 percent, which is only would benefit from a minimum wage increase Mr. Speaker, there is a biblical story slightly less than the increase in the cost of work full time and another third (34.5 percent) about the children of Israel in the gasoline. Health insurance premiums have work between 20 and 34 hours per week. desert seeking the promised land for 40 skyrocketed by 73 percent and inflation is up Minimum wage increases benefit disadvan- years. I would like to tell my good 13.4 percent. But during that time, the min- taged workers and women are the largest friend that there are American workers imum wage has not increased one cent. That group of beneficiaries from a minimum wage who are deserving and in need of an in- is unconscionable and downright un-American. increase: 60.6 percent of workers who would crease in the minimum wage, and we Happily, the Fair Minimum Wage Act, H.R. 2, benefit from an increase to $7.25 by 2007 are know that for 51 years we have had the will change this sorry state of affairs. women. lowest valued minimum wage in Amer- Mr. Speaker, today more than ever Amer- An estimated 7.3 percent of working women ica. It is clear that the minimum wage ica’s hard-working families are feeling would benefit directly from that increase in the increase would help reverse the trend squeezed, living paycheck to paycheck. I can minimum wage. of declining real wages for low-wage tell you Mr. Speaker that record prices at the A disproportionate share of minorities would workers, American workers, and that, pump, skyrocketing health care costs and the benefit from a minimum wage Increase: between 1979 and 1989, the minimum rising cost of college in the face of falling or African Americans represent 11.1 percent of wage lost 31 percent of its real value, flat wages, are squeezing hard-working Tex- the total workforce, but are 15.3 percent of American workers. ans in my Houston-based Congressional Dis- workers affected by an increase. What about the waitress who stopped trict as they struggle to make ends meet. Similarly, 13.4 percent of the total workforce me in a restaurant and said, When are That is why I support increasing the min- is Hispanic, but Hispanics are 19.7 percent of you going to raise the minimum wage? imum wage. For Texas workers the basic cost workers affected by an increase. A woman raising children who, with of living is rising; it is only fair that the pay for The benefits of the increase disproportion- the minimum wage, will be able to hard-working Texans does too. Nearly ately help those working households at the have an opportunity to get a car loan 890,000 hard-working Texans would directly bottom of the income scale: to get a car to get her children to benefit from raising the federal minimum wage Although households in the bottom 20 per- school or to the doctor or to be able to to $7.25 an hour, and 1,774,000 more Texans cent received only 5.1 percent of national in- do the things that we in America enjoy would likely benefit from the raise. come, 38.1 percent of the benefits of a min- doing, being with our family, providing Raising the minimum wage is vital for Texas imum wage increase to $7.25 would go to them an opportunity? families. At $5.15 an hour, a full-time minimum these workers. This is a moral issue. I ask my col- wage worker in Texas brings home $10,712 a The majority of the benefits (58.5 percent) leagues to support the increase in the year—nearly $6,000 below the poverty level of an increase would go to families with work- minimum wage for Americans across for a family of three. An increase of $2.10 an ing, prime-aged adults in the bottom 40 per- America. hour would give these families a much needed cent of the income distribution.

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 9920 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE H280 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2007 Among families with children and a low- port of the minimum wage increase signed by to bind together through trade associa- wage worker affected by a minimum wage in- 665 economists, including 5 Nobel Laureates. tions to create the economies of scales crease to $7.25, the affected worker contrib- According to these eminent economists, ‘‘a necessary to reduce the cost of health utes, on average, half of the family’s earnings. modest increase in the minimum wage would care. This is essential. It makes certain Thirty-six percent of such workers actually improve the well-being of low-wage workers that we should act to offer affordable contribute 100 percent of their family’s earn- and would not have the adverse effects that health care coverage for workers at the ings. critics have claimed.’’ same time we are increasing the min- A minimum wage increase would help re- Members of Congress have legislated a imum wage. verse the trend of declining real wages for minimum salary for themselves and have seen The Republican substitute, by offer- low-wage workers. Between 1979 and 1989, fit to raise it nine times since they last raised ing tax relief that would lead to new the minimum wage lost 31 percent of its real the minimum wage. It is time we gave the job creation and by offering affordable value. By contrast, between 1989 and 1997 Americans we represent a long overdue pay health care in addition to increasing (the year of the most recent increase), the raise by increasing the minimum wage to the minimum wage, would help mil- minimum wage was raised four times and re- $7.25 over 3 years. Even this amount does lions more Americans than the bill we covered about one-third of the value it lost in not keep pace with the cost of living. The min- are considering today, and I regret we the 1980s. imum wage would have to be increased to are not taking the more comprehensive Income inequality has been increasing, in $9.05 to equal the purchasing power it had in approach. part, because of the declining real value of the 1968. And if the minimum wage had increased Nonetheless, this legislation will help minimum wage. Today, the minimum wage is at the same rate as the salary increase cor- many women and men across the coun- 33 percent of the average hourly wage of porate CEOs have received, it would now be try, and I intend to support it. American workers, the lowest level since $23.03 per hour. Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. 1949. A minimum wage increase is part of a The American people demand that the min- Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄4 minutes to the broad strategy to end poverty. As welfare re- imum wage be increased. Low-wage workers, gentleman from Texas (Mr. form forces more poor families to rely on their many of whom live in your district and mine, RODRIGUEZ). earnings from low-paying jobs, a minimum badly need the money. They have waited Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise wage increase is likely to have a greater im- much too long. I urge all Members to support in support of the minimum wage and pact on reducing poverty. this necessary and timely legislation. Vote indicate to you that it is time that we Mr. Speaker, the opponents of the minimum ‘‘aye’’ on H.R. 2, the Fair Minimum Wage Act. take this measure and make it happen. wage often claim that increasing the wage will Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I am Let me thank Chairman MILLER on cost jobs and harm the economy. Of course, happy now to yield 2 minutes to the his efforts and just indicate to you that Mr. Speaker, there is no credible support to gentlelady from West Virginia (Mrs. the State of Texas is the one that has such claims. In fact, a 1998 EPI study failed CAPITO). the most to gain. We have over 900,000 to find any systematic, significant job loss as- Mrs. CAPITO. I want to thank the such workers that would be impacted sociated with the 1996–97 minimum wage in- ranking member for yielding me time. by this piece of legislation. And, for crease. The truth is that following the most re- Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the those, let me also indicate that in cent increase in the minimum wage in 1996– legislation to raise the Federal min- Texas nearly 70 percent of low-wage 97, the low-wage labor market performed bet- imum wage to $7.25 per hour. It has employees work full time. I will repeat ter than it had in decades. And after the min- been 10 years since Congress passed leg- that. Seventy percent of low-wage em- imum wage was increased, the country went islation to increase the minimum ployees work full time. And, among on to enjoy the most sustained period of eco- wage, and I am pleased that we are those, almost 40 percent of the low- nomic prosperity in history. The economy cre- going to pass such an increase today. wage workers are sole breadwinners. ated more than 11 million new jobs and expe- I have supported an increase in the Forty percent are sole breadwinners. rienced historic low unemployment rates, in- minimum wage since coming to Con- So this is something that is critical. creased average hourly wages, increased gress, and I have voted for it both as This is something that is important, family income, and decreased poverty rates. part of a package including a perma- something that needs to happen. Mr. Speaker, studies have shown that the nent solution to the death tax. And I The minimum wage increase im- best performing small businesses are located will vote for it as a stand-alone bill. proves the economic well-being of our in States with the highest minimum wages. The minimum wage in my home State families. It provides for better living Between 1998 and 2004, the job growth for of West Virginia is $5.85 an hour, with conditions and improving the quality small businesses in States with a minimum recent increases already scheduled to of life. And I cannot comprehend why wage higher than the Federal level was 9.4 be $6.55 this June and then $7.25 in Members of Congress that have been percent compared to a 6.6 percent growth in June 2008. Twenty-eight other States here over 10 years, who have voted on States where the Federal level prevailed. have enacted minimum wages that are their own increase each time, and yet So much for the discredited notion that rais- higher than the Federal minimum not allow an opportunity for individ- ing the minimum wage harms the economy. It wage, and I am pleased today that we uals that are in the lowest part of the does not. But raising the minimum wage in- will vote to increase the minimum wages in this country be able to get a creases the purchasing power of those who wage for workers across the country. pay increase. most need the money, which is far more than I will vote for H.R. 2 because it will Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 can be said of the Republicans’ devotion to improve the quality of life for low- minutes to the gentleman from Indiana cutting taxes for multimillionaires. wage workers in my congressional dis- (Mr. PENCE). Mr. Speaker, Americans overwhelmingly trict and across the Nation. This legis- (Mr. PENCE asked and was given per- side with progressive principles of rewarding lation would be much better, however, mission to revise and extend his re- hard work with a living wage. A post-election if it included the elements of the Re- marks.) Newsweek poll found that 89 percent of Amer- publican alternative offered by Rank- Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in re- icans favored raising the minimum wage. Last ing Member MCKEON and Ranking spectful opposition to H.R. 2, the Fair November, voters passed all six State ballot Member MCCRERY. Minimum Wage Act of 2007. And I do so initiatives increasing the statewide minimum understanding that what I do may well wage. The case for raising the minimum wage b 1245 be misunderstood by some of my con- is so compelling that in the 2004 election, Millions of small business employees stituents at home and even by some even voters in Florida and Nevada, two States across the country lack health insur- looking on in this debate. But let me won by President Bush, overwhelmingly ap- ance. It is probably the largest seg- say emphatically that a 41 percent in- proved ballot measures to raise the minimum ment of working Americans who are crease in the minimum wage that is wage. In Nevada’s richest county, Douglas, unable to afford and cannot find health brought to the well of Congress with- where President Bush received 63.5 percent insurance, a vitally important part of out providing any relief to small busi- of the vote, 61.5 percent of voters supported leading a good-quality life here in the ness owners and family farmers is irre- raising the minimum wage. United States. sponsible and unwise, and it will harm Mr. Speaker, in October 2006 the Economic We should authorize association both the wage payer and the wage Policy Institute released a statement in sup- health plans, allowing small companies earner.

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 10, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H281 An excessive increase in the min- Providing a more reasonable wage is without an increase or adjustment. imum wage will hurt the working poor, not only a commonsense issue but a This stagnation of the minimum wage Mr. Speaker, and especially those who moral one as well, and I am proud that has left families with no guarantee are trying to begin the American one of my first few votes in the Con- that a full-time job will enable their Dream by entering the workforce at gress of the United States will be to ex- most basic needs to be met. entry level jobs. Minimum wage in- tend economic fairness and justice to At the current minimum wage, a creases, the unbroken record of our deserving workers. worker spending 40 hours a week, 52 economic history attests, raise unem- Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, might I weeks a year on the job, earns less ployment among the young, minorities inquire again the time remaining. than $11,000 a year, leaving them more and part-time workers, the very people The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- than $5,000 below the poverty line for a that a minimum wage is thought to tleman from California has 241⁄2 min- family of three. That is shameful. help. And sadly, for reasons I don’t en- utes, and the gentleman from northern The passage of the bill today will di- tirely understand, for every increase in California has 44 minutes. rectly help those families. the Federal minimum wage, African Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, we will It is estimated that 5.6 million work- Americans have been hit the hardest reserve and let them take some time to ers will receive an increase in their with the advent of jobs that are lost kind of even that out. hourly wage if the minimum wage were with an increase in the minimum wage. Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. raised to just $7.25 an hour. An addi- tional 7.4 million workers earning up It would be the late economist Mil- Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄4 minutes to the ton Friedman, a Nobel laureate, who gentlewoman from California (Mrs. to a dollar above the new minimum said, ‘‘The high rate of unemployment NAPOLITANO). wage would also benefit. In total, 13 among teenagers, and especially black Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, a million workers will be aided by this teenagers, is both a scandal and a seri- minimum wage increase is crucial for necessary legislation. The passage of this bill is a first step ous source of social unrest.’’ And then all Americans, more so for women and towards the greater goal of a living he went on to say, ‘‘It is largely a re- minorities. wage for every American worker be- sult of minimum wage laws.’’ Es de maxima importancia que este cause, even as it goes to $7.25 an hour, I believe the minimum wage and this Congreso eleve el salario minimo, there are many families who are still increase is one of the most anti-minor- especialmente para las mujeres y going to find themselves within the cir- ity, anti-poor laws that we could bring menorias. cumference of poverty. There are peo- into this Congress. It violates funda- Ten years of neglect, plus inflation, ple who are looking forward to the ac- mental free market economics, and it have left workers living below poverty. tion of this Congress. will cost jobs. Diez anos de olvido, mas la inflacion, But let it be said that the long-term The Heritage Foundation recently re- han dejado a nuestros trabajadores en objective, to ensure that workers are ported that for every 10 percent in- pobreza. able to afford adequate housing and crease in the minimum wage there is a 1.4 million working women will be support their families, cannot be for- loss of 2 percent of entry level min- main beneficiaries for an increase from gotten by this Congress. imum wage jobs. This means, for what $5.15 to eventually $7.25 per hour in 2 Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. years, of which 33 percent are African we consider today, we literally could Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄4 minutes to the see evaporate overnight 8 percent of American and Hispanic female work- gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. CAS- the entry level jobs in this country. ers. TOR). I recently received an e-mail from a Mas de uno punto quarto millon de Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I urge my small sub sandwich restaurant owner mujeres trabajan -seran las bene- colleagues to throw a lifeline to the in Anderson, Indiana, who told me of ficiaries el cual son Hispanas y hardworking men and women in Amer- his frustration about what Congress AfroAmericanas del salario de 5.15 a ica by voting to increase the minimum would consider today, Mr. Speaker; and 7.25 pro hora. wage from $5.15 to $7.25. It is no secret he begged me to ask for balance and It helps economic social conditions, that health care costs are rising, along justice for the wage payer as well as reduces pay gaps. It helps the economy. with property insurance, and it takes a the wage earner. He said he had 200 ap- More money spent will create more ca- lot to pay the rent these days. So, in a plications on file, but he knew that if reer opportunities through afford- country where the average CEO earns Congress passed this irresponsible 41 ability of education. more before lunchtime than the aver- percent increase in the minimum wage, Ayuda a la economia nacional ya que age minimum wage worker earns all not only would he not be able to extend se gastara mas dinero. year, this Congress must take action. opportunity to some, he would have to Mujeres encabezadas de su familia The increase in the minimum wage cancel jobs for others. podran tener mas dinero para mantener will help women, in particular, who Let us serve the wage earner and the su familia. comprise nearly two-thirds of all min- wage payer. Let us reject this irrespon- Women breadwinners can increase imum wage workers. Many serve in the sible increase in the minimum wage. economic and financial independence. lowest-paying jobs back in our home Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Enough talk. Take action. Have a towns, backbone jobs like child care, Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the conscience. Help America. Vote for the food service and cashiers. Many are gentleman from Illinois (Mr. HARE), a minimum wage increase. women of color struggling to make member of the committee. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ends meet for $5.15 an hour. Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, the Fair Chair requests that the gentlewoman In my district, according to the Minimum Wage Act is an important from California (Mrs. NAPOLITANO) pro- United Way of Tampa Bay, over 40 per- step toward strengthening America’s vide a translation, of her remarks. cent of the residents live in poverty. middle class by providing hardworking Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Well, we are going to lift them up. We Americans with the wages they have Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄2 minutes to the are going to lift up millions of children earned. I rise in strong support of this gentleman from Ohio (Mr. KUCINICH), a by raising the minimum wage. Amer- legislation. member of the committee. ican workers are long overdue for a As the son of a union machinist and Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise raise because past Congresses have not a former employee of a clothing fac- today in strong support of the Fair increased the minimum wage in 10 tory, I understand the struggles many Minimum Wage Act of 2007. years. But we are headed in a new di- Americans face in trying to meet basic Over the past 9 years, as the price of rection now to improve the economic needs at minimum wages. Increasing food has increased and the cost of hous- security for hardworking Americans. the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour ing swelled beyond the reach of many Step number one, raising the minimum to $7.25 per hour provides a necessary workers, the purchasing power of the wage. raise to 13 million of America’s lowest minimum wage has fallen to its lowest Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. paid workers. level in 51 years. Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄4 minutes to the For too long we have ignored the Since 1997, the Federal minimum gentlewoman from California (Ms. plight of American working families. wage has been stalled at $5.15 an hour LINDA T. SA´ NCHEZ).

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE H282 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2007 Ms. LINDA T. SA´ NCHEZ of Cali- nate the egregious death tax that cause of good tax policy, because in fornia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of forces the sale of so many family busi- leaving more money with the individ- the Fair Minimum Wage Act. This bill nesses and small farms around the uals that earn it and not doing things will help nearly 13 million workers and country, and it does not provide incen- that are going to harm small business, their families by raising the minimum tives for small business owners to in- as the gentleman from Ohio said, most wage. vest in and grow their businesses and of our Nation’s jobs are created The value of the minimum wage is thus create the jobs or the futures for through small businesses. lower than it has been in half a cen- the teenagers and many other people We know from the Congressional tury. Instead of providing a living wage who are coming up in this country. Budget Office, the CBO, they estimate to hard-working American families, Mr. Speaker, our Nation’s small busi- that a minimum wage increase without the minimum wage is a poverty wage. nesses deserve better, and this House considerations for small businesses and It is nearly $6,000 short of the Federal should do better. So vote ‘‘no’’ on H.R. their workers would impose a 5 to $7 poverty line for a family of three if a 2. billion unfunded mandate on small minimum wage worker works full time. Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. businesses. Shouldn’t having a job raise you out Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the Now, I ask my colleagues from across of poverty, instead of trapping you in gentlewoman from California (Mrs. the aisle, are they willing to stand up it? CAPPS). today and pass an unfunded mandate, a The minimum wage has stagnated Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague. 5 to $7 billion unfunded mandate on our since 1997, but wages have soared for Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support Nation’s small businesses? We know, those highest on the income scale. of H.R. 2. As cochair of the Congres- raising the minimum wage will reduce The average CEO of a Standard & sional Caucus for Women’s Issues, I am employment, and I encourage my col- Poors 500 company made $13.5 million so proud to stand with many of my col- leagues to oppose the Democratic bill. in 2005. leagues, as we repeat over and over Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. The average CEO makes 821 times as today how vital this legislation is for Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the much as a minimum wage worker. women across this country. Women lag gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. KAPTUR). With salaries like these it is clear far behind men in terms of earnings. Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the chairman why an average CEO earns more before Nearly two-thirds of all minimum wage of the committee for bringing this im- lunchtime than a minimum wage work- workers are women, many raising chil- portant bill to the floor. er earns all year. dren. Mr. Speaker, the minimum wage is a This bill translates into over 9 mil- women’s working issue, and it is an b 1300 lion women who will benefit from a issue for our children with over 1.4 mil- The average CEO is doing just fine long overdue increase in their take- lion working mothers across this coun- looking out for himself. But America’s home pay. It is abominable that for the try who earn the minimum wage. most vulnerable families need some- past 10 years we have sat by and I would say to my colleagues on the body who is looking out for them. watched the cost of everything sky- other side of the aisle, what is it worth This bill is a good bill, it is an impor- rocket. Health care, child care, food, to you to have someone lift and bathe tant bill, and it is the right thing to do. rent, anything you could think of, ex- your elderly sick relative in a nursing I hope all my colleagues will join me in cept for wages. home and empty their bed pans? Is it voting ‘‘yes’’ on H.R. 2. Minimum wage earners often are sin- worth more than $5.15 an hour? Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 gle moms and have been forced into How about cleaning the bathrooms of minutes to the gentleman from Ohio longer hours, more jobs, more time the Democratic and Republican Con- (Mr. CHABOT). away from their families, which, too ventions? People tend to not pay atten- Mr. CHABOT. I thank the gentleman often, has its own set of unfortunate tion to those workers. How about wash- for yielding. consequences. ing dishes in restaurants across this Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member It is time that we all vote ‘‘yes’’ on country? How about caring for dozens of the Small Business Committee, I H.R. 2. Take a great step forward to- and dozens of 3-year-olds in daycare rise in opposition to this legislation as wards achieving economic equality for centers across this Nation? How about it is being offered to us today because women. Indeed, the benefits will be those women that lift all those heavy it does not offer our Nation’s small there for all Americans. trays at those restaurants that you all businesses the help that they need to Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 eat in, bringing food to the people pay for what amounts to a tax in- minutes to the gentlewoman from Ten- across this Nation? Surely it is worth crease. Small businesses are the back- nessee (Mrs. BLACKBURN). more than $5.15 an hour. bone of our Nation’s economy. Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, you Even when it is raised to $7.25 an Over the last decade, small busi- know, this is such an interesting de- hour, if a woman has children, she is nesses have annually created 60 to 80 bate that we come here to have on the going to live in poverty anyway, so she percent of America’s new jobs; 99 per- minimum wage issues. All of our eco- has to work two jobs, most of them cent of all businesses in the U.S. have nomic issues debates end up being such without health insurance. Preserve the 500 employees or fewer, and that is interesting debates, and I always love value of work in this country. Vote for what constitutes a small business by it when I hear the statements made the increase in the minimum wage. It definition in this country, 99 percent. that this is wrong and that is wrong, is the right thing to do. We are a Nation of small businesses. and our focus becomes, let us go to the Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 Yet, we are debating a bill today that government and expect the government minutes to the gentleman from Ari- fails to take into consideration the im- to fix it. zona (Mr. FLAKE). pact such legislation could have on the Mr. Speaker, you know, we know Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Speaker, it has been bottom line of those small businesses, that just is not so. I have found it so an interesting debate today. We have the most prolific job creators in our interesting that you would hear from heard on the other side: Today is the economy. people that it appears that the Repub- day I am going to vote to give the Mr. Speaker, the simple fact of the licans never raise the minimum wage. American worker a raise. Would that matter is that this bill increases costs What about 1994? What about 1997? we all had that kind of power. Unfortu- for mom-and-pop businesses, the Con- Then we hear all of this about explo- nately, with this, we can dictate that. gressional Budget Office, CBO, esti- sive costs. But what we are not hearing Unfortunately, somebody else has to mates it to be $5 to $7 billion, without is that per capita disposable income pay that wage. providing them the opportunity to has risen 9.2 percent in real dollars It is simply not right to inject our- grow their business and thus create since 2001. selves into the free market in that more jobs. This bill does nothing to All the millions of jobs that have way. Yes, it would be nice if everyone help small businesses lower their been created, nearly 7 million since could make a larger wage. health care costs through association 2003 alone. The reason this happens is The problem is, the price of every- health plans. It does nothing to elimi- because of good economic policy, be- thing is elastic. When the price goes

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 10, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H283 up, the demand goes down. Those are the Black Death came along and killed It is an interesting dynamic you are the irrefutable laws of the free market. a whole lot of their workforce, and the talking about, but it is almost 20 years To think that we can simply go in and price for a day’s labor remained the out of date in terms of the economics, dictate and change things that way is same. England and their economy lan- what is taking place, as States have wrong. guished until a guy came along that continued to raise the minimum wage, Less than a month ago I was in Cuba. the Brits don’t even like by the name and the economic growth that has fol- Now, in Cuba, a janitor makes the of Oliver Cromwell, and he abolished lowed the wage increases that have fol- same as a doctor. Some might say that all of the government wage and price lowed, the growth and retail, which is is a good thing until you realize that controls, and the economy surged. very difficult in a competitive area, they both make about $20 a month. It The effect of an increase of 40 percent and the job growth that was created in is not good when government controls on minimum wage is going to be sev- those areas because people had money the price and wage and controls the eral things. The first thing it is going to put into the economy. economy. to do is: any job between the current Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the I am not suggesting that we are any- minimum wage and the $7 is going to gentleman from Maine (Mr. MICHAUD). where close to that, but supposing that do one of several things. First, it will b 1315 we can inject ourselves and have this be exported overseas. If it is not ex- Mr. MICHAUD. I thank the gen- week wage controls, a little later this ported, it will be taken on the black tleman for yielding 1 minute. week, price controls in the form of ne- market by, perhaps, some illegal immi- Mr. Speaker, I come to this floor as a gotiating with companies what drugs grant who is willing to work for less proud union member after working 28 are going to cost, is simply the wrong than the minimum wage. Or it will just years at a paper mill in Maine. I come direction to go. be passed on to everybody as an in- here as cochair of the Labor and Work- I would urge everyone here to reject crease in cost of living. ing Families Caucus. I come on behalf the notion that we as Members of Con- Those are the alternatives. It would of the hardworking men and women of gress should inject ourselves into the be very nice if we could, by mandate the State of Maine, and I am here to free market in that manner. from this floor, say that everybody is say we need to pass this legislation. Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. going to make a lot more than that. The salaries of Members of Congress Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the Why not $20 an hour? The reason is be- have increased by $31,600 since 1997, gentlewoman from California (Ms. cause what happens is we become less while the minimum wage continues to SOLIS). competitive, and we ship the jobs over- earn just $10,700 a year. Today, the av- Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in seas. erage CEO earns more before lunch- strong support of the Fair Minimum We are proposing that if we are going time the very first day he goes to work Wage Act, H.R. 2. As you know, women to do this, particularly to all of these than the minimum wage earner earns and minorities make up a dispropor- jobs in small businesses, that we at all year long. What kind of priorities tionate number of those earning min- least give the small businesses some are these? imum wage. In fact, they haven’t seen kind of a break to compensate and to We sometimes forget the face of the a wage increase in 10 years. Too many try to provide some health care for minimum wage worker. They aren’t single head-of-household women strug- some of those people. That is the rea- the corporate giants. They aren’t the gle to make ends meet, some working son why we are opposing just a straight special interests. They are the hard- two and three jobs every single day to 40 percent increase, because the effect working men and women of this coun- make sure that their children are cared is going to be, yes, some people are try, and they deserve a raise. for and the rent is paid for; 61 percent going to get more money, but a lot of There is still more that we can do to of those are sole bread earners. One- jobs, it is just like taking the old chain help our people in this country work third of those, as you know, are women saw out and chopping off another low their way out of poverty and achieve raising their children. Most don’t even rung in the ladder. prosperity, but increasing the min- have an opportunity to have health There are people who will end up in imum wage is a necessary first step. care coverage. African American welfare accordingly. Vote ‘‘no’’ on Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I am women and Latinas only make up 23 House Resolution 2. happy to yield 2 minutes to the gen- percent of the workforce, but they rep- The SPEAKER pro tempore. For pur- tleman from Georgia, a member of the resent 33 percent of the women only re- poses of the managers being guided, committee, Mr. PRICE. ceiving minimum wage. Mr. MILLER of California has 353⁄4 min- Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I This fair minimum wage package utes. Mr. MCKEON of California has 17 thank my chairman for yielding me the will allow for 1.4 million working minutes. 2 minutes’ time. moms to get an increase in pay. Let us Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I stand in support of more jobs and in not forget those women who are work- Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. support of all workers, understanding ing in the garment industry in the Mr. Speaker, it is rather interesting that there are consequences to what we Northern Mariana Islands who only that speaker after speaker gets up on do here and some of those consequences earn $3.05. These women also work up the other side of the floor and in spite are unintended. When we increase the to 20 hours a day in squalor with no of the economic evidence of how well minimum wage, unless employers re- health care and no reform in labor. those States that have raised their ceive some sort of benefit, they hire I stand up for those working women minimum wages are doing compared in fewer workers. Fewer workers. It dis- and men, and urge the support of H.R. terms of job creation and economic courages businesses from hiring the 2. growth to those States that kept the least-skilled workers who need the Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minimum wage low; it is rather com- most assistance. Losing access to entry minutes to the gentleman from Mis- pelling and overwhelming evidence in level positions deprives many unskilled souri (Mr. AKIN). terms of higher job growth and higher workers of the opportunity to learn the Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, there is a economic growth, significantly higher skills that they need to advance up the cynic that once said that one of the even in the retail professions in those career ladder. things that we learn from history is States that increased the minimum Did you know that businesses actu- that we learn nothing from history. I wage. ally cut the number of unskilled and don’t accept that entirely, but it cer- It is also rather interesting in light disadvantaged workers on their pay- tainly appears to be that way on the of the fact that the Gallup Poll of rolls after an increase in the minimum floor of the U.S. Congress today. small business owners in March of last wage and that raising the minimum You don’t have to look in the recent year said the overwhelming majority of wage to $7.25 an hour would cost at past; you go back to 1640 in England. small business owners, 86 percent, say least 8 percent of affected workers And they had wage and price controls. the minimum wage had no impact on their jobs? Minimum wage jobs are They thought it was a compassionate them. Nearly half the small business entry level positions that teach career thing to set a price on a loaf of bread, owners, 46 percent, supported the in- skills that make workers more produc- a day’s labor and a ton of coal. Then crease in the minimum wage. tive and enable them to earn a raise.

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Mr. Speaker, a number of tion that has always seemed to push Because regardless of what we do here, my colleagues have pointed out the working families aside. regardless of what we make the min- problems with raising the minimum Raising the Federal minimum wage imum wage, it is really zero. What we wage; that it is an unfunded mandate from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour is so impor- can’t count are jobs that are never of- on small business, will likely result in tant so the fundamentals of our econ- fered. If we pass this, small businesses the loss of over 1 million jobs for low omy remain strong. But that barely don’t miraculously get more money to wage earners, that it will eliminate masks the troubles that families face. pay workers, so they hold off on hiring, entry level jobs and actually hurt the Household incomes are down nearly and those jobs that are never offered poor more than it helps them. $1,300 from 2000, employee compensa- are never counted. The negative impacts will result nat- tion at its lowest level in 40 years. This I urge my colleagues to support a urally from the rules and principles of economy is not producing rising living commonsense plan that will increase the free market. In my college courses, standards for most families. Today we the minimum wage and increase busi- I learned that the rules and principles can expect to have the first sustained ness resources to provide that wage of free markets are the rules and prin- period of economic growth since World and save and increase the number of ciples that every business and worker War II that fails to offer a comparable jobs. are subject to in every transaction, increase in wages for workers. Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. every negotiation and every new idea. Raising the minimum wage is not Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the That is, those negative effects of this about handouts or making political gentleman from New York (Mr. ENGEL). bill are unavoidable with its passage. statements but rather raising the earn- Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank In spite of the negative effects, this bill ings floor for workers in this country. the distinguished chairman for allow- does seem destined to pass. Indeed, today a full-time minimum ing me to speak. As a freshman Congressman, the wage worker still earns only $10,700 a My colleagues, I cannot believe some likely passage of this measure has year. My colleagues on the other side of the rhetoric I am hearing from the taught me a new principle: The force of of the aisle, we make almost $163,000 a Republican side of the aisle. The Re- Congress can be brought to bear and year, and we are opposed to $2 in a publican ploy of combining tax cuts for justified to suspend those natural laws raise for working families? My friends, the rich with the minimum wage in- which would otherwise control impor- walk in the shoes of people who work crease is just simply mean-spirited and tant matters. The well-intentioned de- every single day for a living. This Con- wrong. This bill should be passed clean- sire of Congress to help the poor appar- gress in the last session barely worked ly and on its own. It has been close to ently will not be restrained by the 2 days a week here for $163,000 a year. 9 years since the last increase in the rules and principles of the free market Take heed. Raising the minimum wage minimum wage, the second longest pe- that otherwise do restrain American has big consequences. riod without a pay raise since the Fed- businesses and workers. Apparently, You know, 4 years after the last min- eral minimum wage law was first en- Congress can change the rules that imum wage increase, the American acted in 1938. would otherwise affect the affairs of economy experienced its strongest While wages have remained stagnant, mankind. growth in over three decades. Between basic costs of living have skyrocketed. So, Mr. Speaker, I have asked my 1997 and 2003, small business employ- America’s current minimum wage is staff to draft a measure I call the Obe- ment grew in States that had a higher simply not a liveable wage, and fami- sity Reduction and Health Promotion minimum wage than those with a Fed- lies are struggling to make ends meet Act. Since Congress will apparently eral minimum wage. as their living standards decline. An in- not be restrained by the laws and prin- Mr. Speaker, it comes down to prior- crease in the minimum wage is des- ciples that naturally exist, I propose ities. It is long past time here that this perately needed if we are to lift those that the force of gravity by the force of Congress recognize that we have an ob- who are falling further and further be- Congress be reduced by 10 percent. Mr. ligation to work to raise the standard hind. Raising the minimum wage is an Speaker, that will result in immediate of living in America for every single issue of fairness, and it is time that we weight loss for every American. It will family, not just for the few at the top treat all working Americans with the immediately help reduce obesity prob- of the heap. That is what this legisla- fairness and equality they deserve. lems in America. Weight loss will also tion is about, and I am proud to sup- I commend the Democratic leader- help to promote the overall health of port it. ship for including this in the first 100 Americans as we have been vigilantly Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I am hours of the 110th Congress. Some 7.3 advised by our health care. happy to yield 2 minutes to the gen- million people will benefit from a raise Mr. Speaker, I thank this body for tleman from Tennessee (Mr. WAMP). in the minimum wage, and we need to the education I have received from the Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I thank the do this forthwith. Please vote for the passage of this bill. Since the basis for distinguished ranking member. bill. the use of Congress’s power is the same For 12 years I have come to the floor Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield with both measures, I would also ask defending our free enterprise system myself 30 seconds. that everyone who is supporting the and standing up for market forces in My colleague, the chairman of the measure before us consider becoming setting prices, costs, and wages. But I committee, earlier read a statement an original cosponsor of the Obesity have to tell you, 9 years without a min- from a Member of the other body. I Reduction and Health Promotion Act, imum wage increase is a problem, espe- would like to read a couple of them. and I have a copy. cially since, over those 9 years, cor- Senate Majority Leader HARRY REID Mr. Speaker, I close by noting that, porate leadership has let us down in said, ‘‘If it takes adding small business with the new principles I have learned, this country time and time again not tax cuts to get a minimum wage in- it appears to me that with Congress honoring the traditions of responsi- crease, we are going to do it.’’ the sky is the limit. bility to their workers and their stock- Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. holders. So, last year, I was one of the MAX BAUCUS said, ‘‘This Congress Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the leaders asking us to increase the min- promised to raise the minimum wage, gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. imum wage but putting a very reason- and we will. We also need to pass mean- DELAURO). able death tax exemption of $5 million ingful small business incentives along Ms. DELAURO. Mr. Speaker, it has on to the legislation, and it passed this with the minimum wage increase. We been 10 years since this Congress last House with a strong support and al- can do both, and we will.’’ approved an increase in the minimum most passed the Senate, missing by

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two votes. That is the best way to raise 101⁄2 minutes; the gentleman from Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. minimum wage. northern California has 28 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄2 minutes to the The second best way is to add associ- b 1330 gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. ated health plans, to give benefits for PASCRELL). Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. small businesses increasing the min- Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the imum wage. thank the chairman. He has put to- gentlewoman from the District of Co- I am going to continue to argue that gether legislation that should be com- lumbia (Ms. NORTON). that is the best way, but let me sur- mended. It is the right thing, the fair Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank prise you and tell you that even if that thing to do to vote for this legislation doesn’t pass today on final passage, I the gentleman for yielding. Everybody gets a pay raise, Mr. today. The Congress will finally take am going to vote to raise the minimum Speaker, except those who need it care of our working class brothers and wage, because you can’t defend not most, those who work for thousands of sisters. raising it for 9 years if we are going to dollars below the poverty level. Small I must say, though, that the gentle- have a minimum wage. That debate is business has gotten the benefit of tax woman from Tennessee and the gen- for another day, whether you should cuts and incentives for years, but the tleman from Idaho had better get their set wages or not. But with a minimum least-paid workers have gotten zero in- economics straight. In their logic, we wage, you can’t defend not raising it. crease. The middle class is screaming should reduce the minimum wage so we The President needs to sign and in- about health care costs. Most of these will produce more jobs. If that makes crease the minimum wage. workers don’t have any health care. any sense, you are really off the res- Let’s do it the right way though. But ervation. if that fails, we will vote for this and Don’t get sick on the minimum wage. And not only the 10 percent of the My friends, this is an opportunity for send it to the President, and I will bet us to put aside politics and get to the he signs it because it is time for work- workforce on the minimum wage will benefit. Other low-wage workers will heart of the issue. At $5.15 an hour, a ers to have an increase. But we need to full-time minimum wage worker brings recognize the free enterprise system is also get a bump-up as a result. This should be a matter of con- home $10,712. How could anyone live on what everybody values about this science. How could we look past these that sum in this day and age? We all country most of all. They are moving workers for almost 10 years? They know that, since 2000, the costs of towards free markets. Let’s not tram- serve us at the worst jobs with the low- health insurance and gasoline and ple on the markets, but let’s recognize est pay. home heating and attending college that 9 years is long enough, and at the Let me remind us welfare is term have skyrocketed to the tune of almost end of the day, we will increase the limited. These mothers go straight on $5,000 annually. Clearly an untenable minimum wage and send it to the to minimum wage jobs. Do the family situation for American workers. And President. values people really want single moth- just this week Northeastern University Now, how is that for bipartisan, Mr. ers to continue to work two jobs just to put out this report, an increase of pro- ILLER? M get food on the table? Believe me, these ductivity for the American worker of Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. mothers won’t hit the jackpot with 17 percent and an increase in wages of Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄2 minutes to the this small increase. 1 percent. gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. The little guy is going to get help BLUMENAUER). Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄2 minutes to the from this Congress, and you had better Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I gentleman from California (Mr. BECER- get that straight, to all of the folks on appreciate the gentleman’s courtesy. RA). We listened to our friends on the both sides of the aisle. The little guy is Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, I thank not going to be forgotten any longer. other side of the aisle cite averages, the gentleman for yielding. but those averages include the incomes This is an important piece of legisla- Mr. Speaker, it is a new day, a new tion. Raising the minimum wage today of people like Bill Gates. They ignore Congress, and a new direction for the realities of 100 million lower-in- will provide an additional $4,400 a year America. for a family of three, equaling 15 come Americans who are struggling to The previous Congress could have in- even approach middle income and who months of groceries. That is good creased the minimum wage, but it enough for me. have been suffering a decline in recent didn’t. The Congress before that could Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield years. These are people who pay more have, but it didn’t. myself such time as I may consume. for food, for housing, for transpor- Every day, over 6 million Americans tation. They are discriminated against choose work at $5.15 an hour over wel- The gentleman said that this Con- by payday loans and subprime lending. fare. For 10 years, the old Congress gress will remember the little guy. The Some are too poor to qualify for the chose to do nothing to reward the labor small businessmen that we are trying child tax credit because of the per- and dedication of those Americans who to help, for the most part, are little verted tax priorities that the Repub- do some of the hardest work for the guys. licans have had in the last 12 years. lowest pay. I remember when I first started in The dire results that have been cited $5.15 an hour, that is less than $900 business. It was a small family busi- by my friends on the other side of the each month. How much do you pay ness. We had two stores. My dad ran aisle are simply hogwash. I come from every month just on your mortgage or one, and I ran one. I couldn’t afford one of the 28 States that increased its your rent, your car payment? any employees. I had to wait until a minimum wage and has indexed it Today, compared to 1997, we pay 25 friend came in and I could ask him to automatically for inflation. Since we percent more for a loaf of bread, 77 per- watch the store for a minute so I could have done that, our economy is strong- cent more for college, 97 percent more use the restroom or maybe grab a sand- er, and our business leadership will tell for health insurance, and 130 percent wich, or I would just eat standing be- you that what we have done is fair; it more for a gallon of gas. But, for those hind the counter if I didn’t have any is good for all of us, not just the poor. 10 years, the minimum wage has not customers in. So I understand the prob- I hope this is a first step that is fol- changed. lems that we are facing. lowed by increased awareness and sen- Mr. Speaker, every American worker And if we could all focus back on the sitivity to 100 million lower-income who works hard full time all year debate today, the substitute bill that Americans. Helping 13 million today should escape the grasp of poverty. The the Republicans wanted to put into with their first pay raise in 10 years is time for excuses expired 10 years ago. play that Mr. MCCRERY and introduced a good start. It is time to increase the minimum yesterday does exactly the same thing Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, might I wage for hardworking Americans. This as the Democratic bill on increasing inquire as to the amount of time re- new Congress will deliver for America’s the minimum wage. But it also goes maining. workers. further, to help small businesses to The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve provide health care to the workers, tleman from southern California has the balance of my time. which I think is very important. And

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE H286 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2007 we are missing a wonderful oppor- talking about and should be making al- As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., told tunity to join together in a bipartisan lowances for, rather than rushing this workers in 1968, ‘‘It is a crime to live in way to work to help more people. bill to the floor in the manner that it this rich Nation and receive starvation Mr. Speaker, I am happy now to yield is today. wages.’’ And it is a great wrong to deny 3 minutes to the gentleman from New I appreciate your concern for the the nearly one in five workers in Texas Mexico (Mr. PEARCE). working families and for the businesses who will get a raise as a result of this Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank of the country. There are changes that bill. the gentleman and thank the col- we need to make. A rising tide does not raise all boats leagues across the aisle for this impor- Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. if some of them are anchored to the tant debate. Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄2 minutes to the floor by Republican ideology. The kind I think one of the things that should gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. of objections we have heard today is be brought to our attention is that the LYNCH). why it has taken so long to do so little. debate is not subject to amendment. Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in After ten years of doing nothing for We are not able to really consider and support of raising the minimum wage the hardest workers, let’s approve at take action based on our consider- for America’s neediest workers, and I least this modest increase. ations. am proud that our Speaker, Speaker Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. We received a communication from PELOSI, and Chairman MILLER have Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄4 minutes to the Rebecca Dow, who is the founder and chosen this in the first 100 hours to gentleman from California (Mr. executive director of Apple Tree Edu- help America’s workers who have not HONDA). cational Center, a nonprofit institution been helped for a long, long time. It Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise serving low-income/at-risk children in has been 10 long years, and America’s today in support of H.R. 2, the Fair Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. workers need a raise. Minimum Wage Act of 2007. She stated that if a Federal or State I think this debate really does crys- I first want to commend Speaker minimum wage passes, the reimburse- tallize the differences between our side PELOSI, the Democratic leadership, and ment for child care assistance is going of the aisle and our Republican col- Mr. GEORGE MILLER for their leader- to be so low that providers cannot con- leagues. ship in making this issue a priority in tinue providing service for low-income I have heard some arguments here the first 100 hours of legislation. families. For programs like Apple Tree, this morning that government should As Chair of the Congressional Asian it will mean closing. There are going to not intervene in the market. But I Pacific American Caucus, I stand here be unintended consequences. want to remind my Republican col- with my friends from the Tri-Caucus in As a small business owner myself, I leagues that these workers are com- support of increasing the minimum will tell you that we are not talking pletely powerless to improve their situ- wage to $7.25 and urge Congress to sup- about the middle class working for ation. port a clean vote to this bill. minimum wage. I will tell you that we The age of globalization has made It has been 10 years since the last in- are not talking about people who are these workers less powerful than they crease in the minimum wage; and, ad- right in the midstream of the employ- were 10 years ago. According to the justed for inflation, the minimum wage ment force. I will tell you that we are Economic Policy Institute, of the near- is now at its lowest level since 1955. talking about giving jobs to people who ly 7 million workers directly affected Over the past 5 years, the number of are not and have not in the past been by the minimum wage, 80 percent are Asian and Pacific Islander Americans hirable. adults, 54 percent work full time, and living in poverty has grown by 243,000. We brought one man in who was 40 59 percent are women. The reality is In 2005, more than 1.5 million Asian Pa- years old, tattoos from one end to the that working families are struggling cific Islander Americans, nearly 9 per- other. He told me after working 6 every day to try to make ends meet. cent of all APIA families in the U.S., months he had never had a job, a full- Look at it this way: In 1997, these were living below the poverty line. Cer- time job, in his whole life. Because we workers made $206 a week for working tain ethnic communities, such as could bring him in at a lower level, we 40 hours. In 2007, they are making the Hmong Americans and Cambodian did not have to have productivity, he same $206. The problem is that while in Americans, experience poverty at up to was allowed to learn on-the-job train- 1997 it may have got that worker close three times that rate. The median ing. That gentleman is still employed to the poverty line at the end of the household income for APIA families is at the company which my wife and I year, now they are $5,000 below the pov- down $2,157 since 2000. Now is the time for us to take a step sold after we came here because we erty line because the cost of living has in a new direction and help to improve were able to give him an entry level gone up 26 percent. wage at an entry level job without That is why I encourage my col- the quality of life for the estimated 14.9 much demand for performance. leagues to join us in supporting the million workers in this country. Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve In the last session, the last Congress, Fair Minimum Wage Act. the balance of my time. I voted to increase the minimum wage Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. when the protections were there for Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄4 minutes to the Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the small businesses. It is the small busi- gentleman from Texas (Mr. DOGGETT). gentleman from Georgia (Mr. LEWIS). ness people who get caught in the mid- Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, the last Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, dle. time the real value of the minimum I want to thank Chairman MILLER for We heard from our colleagues on the wage was this low, Elvis was singing yielding, and I want to thank him for other side that many small businesses ‘‘Heartbreak Hotel.’’ But these days it bringing this piece of legislation before support minimum wage. If that is so, is poor working folks, who have the us. they have got the instrument to do heartbreak when the minimum wage is Mr. Speaker, it is unacceptable that something about it. They simply in- not even close to being a living wage. we have waited 10 years to address this crease wages. But it is those small We need to take the minimum for problem. Unacceptable. We have waited businesses, family owned businesses, wages and raise it, because there is no far too long. Millions of our American where the decisions are made, on the maximum for prescription drugs, for citizens, our brothers and sisters, living room sofa and the dining room tuition, for a visit to the doctor, for mothers and fathers, are working long table. Those are the people that you filling up a tank of gas. Meanwhile, if hours to receive a minimum wage and are going to put up against very hard the gap between the rich and the poor are still living in poverty. In 2007, we economic circumstances, people like in this country continues to widen the should be ashamed of ourselves. We can Rebecca Dow, who is going to have to way it has under the Bush Administra- do better. We can do much better as a close her institution that provides tion, we will soon have the economic Nation and as a people. child care assistance for low-income features of a third world country. A families in an area that has no other CEO earns in two hours what hard- b 1345 provider for this sort of service. I think working people earn on the minimum American workers are suffering. these are the things that we should be wage in an entire year. They are struggling to fill their cars

VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:39 Apr 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD07\H10JA7.REC H10JA7 hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 10, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H287 with gas, to put good food on the table. man MILLER, and I rise in support of Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. They are working hard, and they are H.R. 2, the Fair Minimum Wage Act of Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄2 minutes to the still living in poverty. That is not 2007. gentleman from Maryland (Mr. right. It is not fair, and it is not just. I am pleased that the Democratic CUMMINGS). All American workers deserve good pay leadership has taken a straightforward, Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise for hard work. This is a matter of fair- no-holds-barred approach to expediting today in support of the Fair Minimum ness. This is a matter of human de- consideration of this legislation. And Wage Act of 2007 because Americans cency. This is a matter of human dig- frankly, I am ashamed that it has desperately need a raise. nity. taken so long to increase the minimum Currently, millions of Americans go Nearly 20 States have increased their wage by so little. to work every day but still cannot af- minimum wage above the Federal What we do here today is a clear indi- ford to make ends meet. Sadly, chil- level. It is time for us in Congress to do cation of the philosophical difference dren are at the losing end of this equa- the same. between Democrats and Republicans. tion. Seven million families cannot af- In my district, the basic cost of liv- My party, the Democratic Party, has ford to adequately provide for their ing for a family of three is $27,000. Even tried to raise the minimum wage for children because they are working for with the increase we are considering nearly 10 years because we believe in poverty wages. With this bill, we can today, it is still $12,000 short. live and let live. We believe that fami- begin to turn that trend around. This is just the first step today, and lies should be fairly paid for their Working families are the true bene- we must do more for working families labor. We believe that wage earners, ficiaries of this legislation. Nearly 80 in the fight against poverty. President the true backbone of this Nation, percent of affected workers are adults, Roosevelt said it best when he said should be able to put food on the table, and 46 percent of affected families rely that the test of our progress is not roofs over their families’ heads, clothes solely on the earnings of minimum whether we add more to the abundance on their families’ back and to have wage workers. of those who have much, it is whether basic health care. Mr. Speaker, nearly 15 million Amer- we provide enough for those who have Mr. Speaker, $5.15 is totally unac- icans will likely benefit from this bill, too little. ceptable. No family can live on $5.15 an millions of them children whose par- Today, Mr. Speaker, we must pass hour. Many wage earners are working ents are losing quite a bit of money as the minimum wage. It is time that two and three jobs, both husbands and we speak. Congress’s actions reflect the will of wives and even their children, trying to I want to thank Speaker PELOSI, Rep- the American people. make ends meet. Americans deserve resentative MILLER, and my friend, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. better, and Americans expect their rep- STENY HOYER, for their tireless work Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄2 minutes to the resentatives to assist them in their on this issue. gentleman from Illinois (Mr. RUSH). quest for a decent quality of life. Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I want to Today the story will be written about minutes to the gentleman from Geor- thank the chairman of the committee, the difference between those who stood gia (Mr. KINGSTON). Mr. MILLER, for his outstanding work up for the least of these and the those Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I on our behalf. who came to this floor and continued thank the gentleman from California, Mr. Speaker, today is the day that to bring unconscionable arguments to and I want to say this legislation gets the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and deny low-income wage earners a mere an ‘‘A’’ in politics and a ‘‘D-minus’’ in be glad about it. $2.10 increase over their income in a 2- economics; an ‘‘A’’ is politics most peo- Today we are here to honor our year period. ple aren’t going to notice that the very promise to the American people. They Many States could not wait for Con- people who are pushing it are the ones have asked us and we have promised to gress to act, and they have undertaken who voted against the Bush tax cuts increase the minimum wage, and we to increase their wages. In my own for the low-income bracket, reducing it are here to deliver on that promise. I State of California, the minimum wage from 15 percent to 10 percent. wholeheartedly rise in support of H.R. effective January 1 of this year has in- It is going to be good politics because 2, to increase the minimum wage from creased to $7.25. most people will overlook the fact that $5.15 to $7.25 an hour. The American Mr. Speaker, 6.6 million people will the majority of the Democrat Party people deserve better. benefit from raising the minimum are going to vote against affordable Mr. Speaker, raising the national wage. The economic gap between the health care for the working poor. minimum wage is a first step in reduc- rich and poor is growing. Too many It is good politics because most peo- ing the poverty rate in America. Amer- people are living at or below the pov- ple won’t notice that the Democrats ica’s families have seen their real in- erty line. When we pass this bill, we didn’t have a committee meeting come drop by almost $1,300 since the will all feel better about ourselves. which would have given them an oppor- year 2000 while the cost of health insur- Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. tunity to parade out all of these work- ance, gasoline, home heating and at- Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the ers who they have been saying over and tending college have increased by al- gentleman from Illinois (Mr. DAVIS). over again depend on Congress for their most $5,000 a year. (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was salary and wages because apparently As you know, the minimum wage has given permission to revise and extend they cannot earn more on their own, not been raised since 1997, and that is his remarks.) only Congress themselves can increase inexcusable and unconscionable. Mr. Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I this. Speaker, the Bible tells us that our rise in strong support of increasing the It is going to be good politics for servant is worthy of his hire. Well, the minimum wage. I want to thank them because most people won’t realize American people are certainly worth Speaker PELOSI and the Democratic that, since 1997, in the last 9 years, more than the current $5.15 minimum Caucus for deciding that this would be that 29 States have increased the min- wage that they are receiving. a priority for this Congress. imum wage, and that is a fact that Again, I rise in support of this out- I come from the State of Illinois keeps getting overlooked. standing legislation, and I thank the where, 2 weeks ago, the Governor And it is going to be good politics be- committee and thank this chairman signed into law a new bill raising the cause most folks know that union for being a stellar, outstanding leader minimum wage to $7.50 an hour, mov- wages are going to be linked into this, in bringing more income to the Amer- ing toward a livable wage. So I am so and it is going to increase the wage sal- ican household. pleased that we are on track to follow ary for the union workers who support Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. the great State of Illinois, and I look them so dearly. Mr. Speaker, I yield 11⁄2 minutes to the forward to the day when we will be But it is going to be bad economi- gentlewoman from California (Ms. WA- talking about a livable wage for every cally. As I said, an ‘‘A’’ in politics and TERS). American who works so he and she can a ‘‘D’’ in economics because the reality Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank earn enough money to take care of the is that most minimum-wage earners the gentleman from California, Chair- basic needs of their family. are part-time, and most are well above

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What better way to fact we are going to raise the minimum marriage and the poverty level, and be- have them do this than have a min- wage. tween hours worked and the poverty imum wage that gives people a job and It is what our leader, Speaker level. Because the truth of the matter money that takes them above the pov- PELOSI, said she wanted to do in this is if people in poverty, if many of them erty line. first 100 hours. In this first 100 hours would marry and many of them would b 1400 she wanted to address urgent parts of work 40 hours a week, they would be the national agenda that are of deep out of poverty. It is not anything I Mr. Speaker, it is sinful for us to con- concern to the American people. And claim to have the franchise on, the tinue this debate without adding that to over 80 percent of the American peo- knowledge of, all of the information in this country one out of every 110 ple in this country, they understand on, but it is an economic fact. I hope persons is a millionaire. People don’t that the increase in the Federal min- that we can have committee hearings want welfare. People want self-care. imum wage is a matter of morality, it on that and discuss that, because if we We want to give people the means by is a matter of their values, it is a mat- want to attack poverty, that is where which they can say farewell to welfare. ter of the reflection of our Nation. we need to go. Raising the minimum wage will do They understand that these people, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. this. minimum wage workers in this coun- 1 Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 ⁄2 minutes to the try, have been working at a wage that gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time is 10 years old. Ten years old. And they CORRINE BROWN). as I may consume. understand the unfairness of that, and Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by they understand the difficulty of that. Mr. Speaker, I have waited a long time thanking the staff of the Education That is why we brought this bill as a for this day. This is a great day. It is a and Labor Committee, Jody Calemine clean bill, because we wanted to high- day that the American people have and Michele Varnhagen, for all of their light and to speak to the Nation about been waiting for a very long time. work on this legislation. They have this group of workers who are toiling Helping the poor is a theme that is diligently worked for years to get this in spite of the fact that in 28 States stressed throughout the Bible, but it is day to come before the House of Rep- they have raised the minimum wage at our responsibility as Members of Con- resentatives, and I know they have the or above the levels we are talking gress to help raise the standard. appreciation of all of the members of about. In spite of that fact there are I am so pleased today that we are our committee. still some 13 million people who are di- going to have an opportunity to have a I also want to thank our newer staff rectly impacted by the actions we take clean vote on raising the minimum members, Megan O’Reilly, Brian Ken- here today and the actions we take wage for the first time in 10 years. nedy and Michael Gaffin, for their good later on to send this bill to the Presi- You know, the sad thing is that a work today and all of their efforts on dent of the United States. CEO before 12:00 earns more money behalf of this legislation, preparing it There are 13 million people whose than a person on minimum wage will for the floor. economic viability is dependent upon earn all year long. In talking to some I also want to thank my colleagues this bill to increase the minimum of the CEOs about it, they mention, on this side of the aisle who argued on wage. That is why we have to do this, maybe we are trying to help students behalf of this bill to increase the min- and that is why I am so terribly proud or part-time workers. The truth of the imum wage, and I want to thank my of the Members who stood up today and fact is, we are raising the minimum colleagues on the other side of the aisle argued for this increase in the min- wage. We are providing an additional who said that they were going to sup- imum wage. $4,400 per year for a struggling family port this measure. They may not fully Mr. Speaker, I will reserve 5 minutes to make ends meet and keep up with agree with it, but they said they would of my time, yield 1 minute to the gen- support it. the rising cost of living. tleman from California (Mr. MCKEON) This bill is not about students and And I want to thank the cosponsors so he may have a similar amount of part-time workers. No, it is about the of this legislation, including I believe time, and yield back the balance of my nearly 13 million full-time workers, seven Republicans who were original time over the 5 minutes. many with families to care for, who cosponsors of this legislation and over The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- earn the minimum wage. In my State 193 Democrats on this side of the aisle. ant to section 508 of House Resolution of Florida, the increase would directly I was especially taken with the re- 6, further proceedings on the bill will benefit over 200,000 workers and have a marks of my colleagues on this side of be postponed. positive effect on over a half million the aisle who understand that this de- people. bate is about more than dollars and f Today is a great day for America and cents per hour. This is about the values for the American worker. I urge my of this Nation. It is about the value we RECESS colleagues to vote ‘‘yes’’ on this bill. I place on work. It is about the state- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- hope the Senate passes this version as ment that we make to people who go to ant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair soon as possible so that we can provide work every day and work terribly hard declares the House in recess subject to immediate relief to our Nation’s work- in very difficult jobs that most people the call of the Chair. ers. in this country would prefer not to Accordingly (at 2 o’clock and 5 min- Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. have. But they go to work every day to utes p.m.), the House stood in recess Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the do that, to provide for themselves, to subject to the call of the Chair. gentleman from Texas (Mr. AL GREEN) provide for their children or to provide who has been a long-time advocate of for their families. f the increase in the minimum wage, When you talk to minimum wage both in this Congress and before he workers, whether they are providing b 1551 came to this Congress. for themselves or themselves and a Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speak- child or a child and a spouse, it is AFTER RECESS er, it has been said, but it bears repeat- tough. It is tough. As the gentleman The recess having expired, the House ing, that a person working full time, said on the front page of The Wash- was called to order by the Speaker pro full time at $5.15 an hour, will make ington Post today, ‘‘When I get all tempore (Mr. HASTINGS of Florida) at 3 $10,700 per year. If that person happens done, I have nothing left for me,’’ be- o’clock and 51 minutes p.m.

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