John W. Olver: “Last week 20 House Republicans introduced a bill to raise the minimum wage by $1.50 each over the next 2 years. They…”

“Last week 20 House Republicans introduced a bill to raise the minimum wage by $1.50 each over the next 2 years. They broke from their leadership and agreed with what we Democrats have been saying all along. People working 40 hours a week ought to earn a livable wage. Now Speaker Gingrich and Senator Dole are joining the game, but it is certainly not a done deal. The Republican leadership still plans to weigh any bill down with union-bashing provisions and maybe different minimum wages for different people. They wanted to slow the bill down. Senate Republicans have been blocking a minimum wage vote for months now, and opposition to the minimum wage from Majority Leader Armey is well documented. So the future of this minimum wage movement remains to be seen. But the movement must succeed. We must fight to bring the minimum wage back in line with what working people in America need to get by. These are the facts: 10 million American workers earn only the minimum wage. The minimum wage has not been raised in 6 years, but the buying power of $4.25 an hour is 50 cents less than it was in 1991. Two-thirds of minimum wage earners are adults, 40 percent of these adults are sole breadwinners; almost 60 percent of minimum wage workers are women. Here are some more points to consider: 75 percent of Americans favor increasing the minimum wage. A reasonable minimum wage combined with the earned income tax credit rewards work and is the best way to keep families off welfare.”