Tom Harkin: “I have come to the floor many times over the past couple of years to talk about the decline of the American Dream. The…”

“I have come to the floor many times over the past couple of years to talk about the decline of the American Dream. The American Dream is supposed to be about building a better life. If you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to support your family, join the middle class, and provide a brighter future for your children. Unfortunately, this dream is nothing more than an illusion for millions of hardworking people who are trying to get by working in low-wage jobs. They are working hard and playing by the rules, but they face declining wages, declining opportunities, and declining economic security. Even working full-time, all year round, they can't make ends meet, much less join the middle class. That is not what America is supposed to be about. That is why today I am introducing legislation that has one of the simplest and most effective policy solutions for shoring up the wages and financial security of our nation's low-wage workers. My bill, the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2012, will raise the minimum wage. I would like to recognize my colleague in the House of Representatives, Ranking Member on the Education and Workforce Committee, George Miller, who is joining me in this effort. My bill will do three things: First, it will raise the minimum wage to $9.80 per hour in three steps over the course of 2 years.…”