Eva M. Clayton: “A vote on the minimum wage should no longer be blocked by the majority leadership. This last vote to prevent a vote on…”

“A vote on the minimum wage should no longer be blocked by the majority leadership. This last vote to prevent a vote on the minimum wage by this body is out of step with the American people. The American people want a vote--at least 8 out of 10 of them. Democrats want a vote--some 119 are cosponsors of the minimum wage bill. At least 23 Republican House members want a vote. A vote on the minimum wage increase is unavoidable. The majority leader continues to resist a vote, showing a lack a compassion and understanding for the plight of poor, working families. Let's have a vote now. Some 13 million American workers deserve an increase in the minimum wage because it is the fair thing to do--it is the right thing to do. Minimum wage workers now earn about 50 cents less than they earned 40 years ago if the value of what they earned then is compared to the value of what they earn now. It is discouraging, Mr. Speaker, for a citizen to work, full-time, and see their earnings go down, while corporate profits and executive salaries continue to go up. It is even more disheartening when some in Congress are pushing for a tax break for these same wealthy executives, while pushing for a tax increase on America's workers. Eliminating the earned income tax credit, which primarily benefits the working poor, while refusing to raise the minimum wage, is unfair and unjust.”