John Joseph Moakley: “on behalf of the 4.2 million Americans who work for the minimum wage, I want to say: it's about time. The minimum wage…”

“on behalf of the 4.2 million Americans who work for the minimum wage, I want to say: it's about time. The minimum wage in the United States has not been raised in more than 6 years. For that reason, I congratulate my Republican colleagues for recognizing the importance of this increase today and I am proud to stand in support of this rule, making the bill in order. Mr. Speaker, the value of minimum wage is at a 40-year low. A 40-year low. Today, people who work for minimum wage, people who work very hard to support their families and try to stay off of welfare, earn only $8,500 a year. That is not enough, Mr. Speaker, to support a family. In fact it is $3,800 below the poverty line for a family of three. That's right, Mr. Speaker. People who work very hard in full time minimum wage jobs earn almost $4,000 less than people at the poverty level. Yesterday we voted on a Republican welfare bill which President Clinton has said he will sign. That bill made significant changes in our Nation's welfare system. But I would argue, Mr. Speaker, that this bill we are doing today is the real of welfare reform. Because, Mr. Speaker, instead of haggling over which benefits the Federal Government should provide to support children, as we were yesterday, we are working on making it easier for parents to support children themselves without the Federal Government. And that's the way it should be.”