Tom Harkin: “in a few moments we are going to vote here in the Senate on whether we are going to bring the minimum-wage bill to the…”

“in a few moments we are going to vote here in the Senate on whether we are going to bring the minimum-wage bill to the floor for debate and a vote. In a few minutes, it will be clear where each Senator stands. Who in this Chamber is going to stand with millions of Americans who work full time for a living but who are left in poverty or on the brink of poverty, struggling to make ends meet? Who is going to vote to give these good people a fair shot at the American dream, and who is going to vote against them? We are going to find out in a few minutes. There is no question that working families need a raise. Fourteen million children in America--that is one in every five--are in a family that would get a raise under our minimum-wage bill. Businesses need a raise. Over 600 economists--7 Nobel Prize-winning economists--have said the lack of demand is what is hurting businesses in America, because people don't have enough money to go into their stores on Main Street and buy what they need. Businesses need customers. If we raise the minimum wage, the people who are getting the raise aren't going to go to Paris, France, and spend that money. They will spend it on Main Street. That is what our businesses need. Our economy needs a raise, because when businesses do better, they hire more workers, they add jobs, and it generates more economic growth. People in poverty definitely need a raise.…”