Tom Harkin: “Today we get the opportunity to assure that 12 million American workers are provided with a much needed and much…”

“Today we get the opportunity to assure that 12 million American workers are provided with a much needed and much deserved raise. The value of the minimum wage is 50 cents less than it was when it was last increased and it's headed for a 40-year low. At last we have the chance to increase the minimum wage so that American families aren't working harder for less. Some say that working Americans don't deserve a raise. I say look at the facts. In my home State of Iowa our minimum wage is 40 cents above the national law. The increase has meant more money in the pockets of Iowa workers and more money spent in our local economy. Jobs are up, unemployment is down, and our economy is stronger. Look around the Nation. Two-thirds of minimum wage workers are adults. Nearly 60 percent are women. More than one-third are the sole breadwinners. Now think about this. Last year, the CEO's in America's top companies made an average of over $4.3 million--about $12,000 a day. Meanwhile someone working for minimum wage made $8,500 a year. That means that a top CEO made more in 1 day than a minimum wage worker earns in well over a year. That's not right and it's not good for America. The one thing spoiling this vote today is an amendment offered by the majority. They delayed this vote for as long as they could and they're still trying to stack the deck against working Americans.”