Lucille Roybal-Allard: “America's workers need a raise. It has been almost 7 years since Congress raised the minimum wage. Nearly all the…”

“America's workers need a raise. It has been almost 7 years since Congress raised the minimum wage. Nearly all the benefits of that bipartisan effort have been eroded by inflation, reducing the value of the minimum wage to its lowest level since the early 60's. Those who will benefit from a minimum wage increase are the 7 million working adults earning less than the President's proposed wage increase of $5.15 an hour, and the 40 percent of minimum wage workers who are the sole breadwinners of their family. The additional $1,800 a year these workers will earn can pay for several months of groceries, health care services, household utilities, or go toward their children's education at a local community college. Now is the time not for promises but for action. If this Congress wants to encourage work we must reward working families by increasing the minimum wage and giving them hope for a better future. It is time to give America's workers a raise.”