James M. Jeffords: “I have faithfully supported minimum wage increases over the years, but there comes a time when we try to push things too…”

“I have faithfully supported minimum wage increases over the years, but there comes a time when we try to push things too fast and we could well destroy the very goals we are trying to reach. One of my major goals as chairman of the Labor Committee is to get people into the workforce and keep them there. That is why I worked so hard with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to enact legislation that will improve and streamline our adult education job-training programs. That is why I am working so hard on developing legislation that will improve our postsecondary, adult and vocational education. That is why I have, with my friend from Massachusetts, introduced legislation to help the disabled find jobs and get off the federal rolls while maintaining their health benefits. And that is why, although I have supported past minimum wage increases, I am concerned that if we raise the minimum wage too soon after the last increase, we may cause more harm than good. Here in Congress, we continually grapple with the issue of how to assist low-skilled workers--particularly workers who have to support a family--without destroying the very jobs they rely on to support themselves and their families.”