Raise the Wage Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Scott for making sure that we finally, after 11 years, will have a vote to raise the minimum wage.

This is America. You play by the rules, you work hard, you are supposed to be able to make it, but that is not the way it is.

Less than 2 years ago, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle made sure that the top 1 percent got their raise, as they are stepping on the American worker.

Today is the day that we set the record straight and give opportunities to those who need it the most.

Henry Ford said it: Make sure you pay your employees enough money so they can buy your product and services.

That is the true case of what is going on here today. You give a raise to the people who need it the most to survive, not to invest overseas or in a shore home. They will spend it right in their neighborhood going to the supermarket and drugstore.

They shouldn't have to make the decision whether or not to put clothes on their kids' backs or to feed them, but that is what is going on today.

Those in the top 1 percent got their raise. It is time that those who work hard and have the dignity of a job get their raise.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the United Steel Workers. United Steelworkers, Pittsburgh, PA, July 15, 2019. Re United Steelworkers support H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act. House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Representative: On behalf of the 850,000 members of the United Steelworkers (USW), I urge you to stand with workers and support the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582).

In the 10 years since Congress last took action, the federal minimum wage has remained stagnant, eroding the earnings and purchasing power for millions of American wage workers and their families. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the current federal minimum wage is worth 17 percent less than it was 10 years ago, down a staggering 31 percent from its peak value in 1968. It is clear that this stagnation has resulted in a cut in real wages for those workers who can least afford it.

While 29 states and the District of Columbia have taken action to raise their wage floors, the failure of federal action on the minimum wage means roughly 40 percent of Americans and their communities have seen continued wage stagnation.

It is past time for America to address the growing needs of low-wage workers and low-income families and raise the federal minimum wage. Under the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582), the value of the federal minimum wage would be restored by incrementally raising the nation's wage floor to $15.00 an hour by 2024 and indexing it to inflation. The legislation would also eliminate the subminimum wages currently in effect for tipped workers and workers with disabilities, ensuring that all groups have access to consistent wages.

Everyone benefits when the floor is raised. According to the Congressional Budget Office, raising the wage to $15.00 an hour would boost the earnings of 27 million workers and their families, lifting some of America's neediest families out of poverty. Through this wage increase, the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582) will not only help low-wage workers to meet their basic needs, but it will increase workers' purchasing power, helping to stimulate and grow America's economy.

All workers deserve to make a livable wage. Combined with critically needed labor law reforms, this legislation will serve as an important step to empowering workers. USW urges you to give America's lowest paid workers a raise and enact the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582). Sincerely, Thomas M. Conway, International President.

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