John Sarbanes: “there are millions of workers in this Nation in desperate need of a pay raise. They work full time, struggling to make…”

“there are millions of workers in this Nation in desperate need of a pay raise. They work full time, struggling to make ends meet and support their families while bringing home a little more than $10,000 a year in pay. These workers are currently making the minimum wage, which has not moved from $5.15 an hour for almost a decade, making it the lowest minimum wage in 50 years when adjusted for inflation. This is a national embarrassment. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said: In this rich Nation, it is a crime that any American should have to work for starvation wages. Today we have an opportunity to come together and give American workers an urgently needed pay raise. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is one of the most fair and necessary bills we will pass during this first 100 hours of the new Congress. It provides all of us an opportunity to help our most vulnerable constituents improve their quality of life. In America, we believe that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can make a decent living for your family. Let's demonstrate our commitment to that today.”