JOHN LINDER: “Mr. Speaker, it might be pointed out that I did not make any of these claims. All these claims were made by college…”

“Mr. Speaker, it might be pointed out that I did not make any of these claims. All these claims were made by college professors doing studies, including Ohio State, University of California, University of Georgia, University of Wisconsin. All of these are legitimate studies that are in the literature. For someone to stand there and say that there is no evidence that increasing the minimum wage increases unemployment is someone who has not looked at the record. In the 2-year period between 1973 and 1975, we increased the minimum wage 31 percent. Unemployment at the end was 73 percent worse off than before, from 4.9 percent to 8.5 percent. The period 1974 to 1976, when the minimum wage was increased 15 percent, unemployment went from 5.6 to 7.7 percent, 37 percent worse off. In the period between 1978 and 1980, we increased the minimum wage 17 percent, unemployment went from 6.1 to 7.1, 26 worse off. Between 1979 and 1981, we increased the minimum wage 16 percent, unemployment went from 5.8 percent to 7.6 percent, 31 percent worse off. 1989 to 1991, we increased the minimum wage by 27 percent, unemployment rate went from 5.3 to 6.7 percent, 26 percent worse off. And in four of those five occasions, four of those five occasions GDP growth was declining after the raise. To say that increasing the minimum wage has no impact on the economy is to say, then why be so cheesy, give them $20.…”