Roland Gutierrez: “I know that to many Members of Congress, another 90 cents is nothing more than pocket change. But to Americans making…”

“I know that to many Members of Congress, another 90 cents is nothing more than pocket change. But to Americans making minimum wage it is not pocket change--it is real change. A change from worrying about paying the rent, or food, or buying new shoes for their kids. A change to a life with some economic security. It amazes me that our opponents say ``yes'' to a book deal that is worth more than four and a quarter million, but ``no'' to anything over four and a quarter an hour for the people who will print, pack, ship, and sell that very book. Well, I want to speak to everyone earning $4.25 today. If your wage is not $5.15 an hour when that book hits the shelves, I say, ``don't buy it.'' Because I think our Speaker should read a book about the hopes and dreams of America's working families rather than the other way around. So I say to our opponents--you defend your millions and we Democrats will defend ours. Your millions, of course, are the millions of dollars earned on a book, and our millions are the millions of Americans trying to earn a decent livable wage.”