Jim Saxton: “during President Clinton's State of the Union Address, he purposed an increase in the minimum wage. The administration…”

“during President Clinton's State of the Union Address, he purposed an increase in the minimum wage. The administration has asked for an increase of 90 cents over 2 years. This will raise the current wage from $4.25 and hour to $5.15 an hour. The President says that every person should receive a living wage for a good days work. I say three cheers to that, I cannot agree more with the President. I believe that every American should be paid a fair wage. However, the President and I disagree on how exactly we get there. President Clinton believes that the Government should mandate a wage. On the other hand, I believe that the businesses and workers should negotiate their own wages and allow the free market to work. Mr. Speaker, I think I can explain why the President and his administration have taken this flawed path. Their heart is in the right place, but they are stuck in the same rut they have been in for years. Jeff Joseph from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce explained it perfectly last week. Let me quote from him, when he talked about why the minimum wage mandate is bad: Primarily because it's a 60-year-old idea that doesn't fit in the global world we live in today. We shouldn't be talking about minimum wages and minimum skills. We should be figuring out how our workers can have world-class skills so they can earn world-class livings.”