Eva M. Clayton

one is asked, why do we need a minimum wage? I just heard the reference to victims. I gather these people feel that they need the minimum wage, and 80 percent of the American people feel they need to increase the minimum wage. First you…

I rise not as a member of the Blue Dogs, but I rise as a Member who thinks that the proposal that is authorized by the coalition indeed is a strong proposal, and in fact is the strongest one we have. I also rise as one who thinks all three…

Ms. Haynes pointed out that at $8,500 a year, the "minimum wage worker" is more appropriately referred to as the "miracle worker". The typical "miracle worker" is a single parent, with children. At the "miracle wage" of $4.25 per hour…

there are many parts of the Republican's proposed budget that I find objectionable, but there is one part that is particularly inappropriate. They propose, once again, to eliminate the Department of Commerce by abolishing certain programs…

In fact, the issue seldom comes up. The issue is an issue when the news media brings it up or it is an issue in court. But, by and large, the constituents want to know that you care about them. By and large, constituents want to think that…

I rise again to urge bipartisan support for the minimum wage increase and there is great precedent for such an effort. The last time the minimum wage was raised--in 1989--135 Republicans in the House voted for it, including Mr. Gingrich…

our colleagues on the right continue to press for inclusion of the medical savings account proposal in the health insurance bill currently pending in Congress. Once again, they want to burden average, working Americans to benefit the…

between 1979 and 1992 the number of working poor in America increased by 44 percent. Some may not care about that--I do. I care that millions of our fellow citizens are holding down jobs, while sliding into poverty. It's not fair. We can…

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…

the Republicans make us talk about an issue that they say is irrelevant because they refuse to allow a full discussion about the minimum wage. Therefore, we must take this opportunity to talk about the minimum wage. It is relevant. It is…

I think we should make work pay. When we do not make work pay, we make work a burden, so those who are on welfare will want to stay on welfare if they cannot find enough to provide for their basics. Raising the minimum wage will allow for…

I also want to join briefly, although I will talk about another subject, want to join my colleagues in respect for the human dignity of the Armenian people and hopefully that the tragedy and the history of that event will teach us as…

there are 117,000 minimum wage workers in North Carolina. Those workers are not just numbers, they are people with families and children. They are day care providers, farmers and food service workers, mechanics and machine operators. They…

I am pleased that 20 of our Republican colleagues in the House now support an increase in the minimum wage. They join 3 recipients of the Nobel Prize in Economics, 7 past presidents of the American Economics Association and more than 100…

Every person who works desires to earn a livable wage. That is the reason for working. That is not true today. Some 12 million workers earn a mere minimum wage. What is a minimum wage? A minimum wage is the least, the lowest, the smallest…

I want to add, too, it has been usually the principle that we have been working on that would reward work, that productivity is a factor of the profit, and that we reward that when the productivity goes up and the profit goes up, you share…

indeed it is time to raise the minimum wage. What is the argument that we hear the Republicans saying as to why we should not raise the minimum wage? They say when we do that we will reduce the opportunity for jobs; that, in fact, there…

This is what the Statue of Liberty is all about. That is why people want to come to America, for a better opportunity to live. So the quality of life adds to that community spirit, and also the quality of life and the community spirit adds…

In some instances they wanted to eliminate it. They cut it, but they wanted to eliminate it in many instances.

It makes no sense that a person in America who wants to work, and who has a job and works more than 40 hours a week, can still fall below the poverty level. That is the situation we have under the current minimum wage. The President has…

I think you are right, it is the moral thing to do. And so often we hear values about family and we hear values about trust and honesty and decency. Well, how we really cause families to unite is to give them the resources to be…

the current debate on welfare reform is accelerating the need to address the issue of out-of-wedlock teen births. We want to ``end welfare as we know it.'' But, I am afraid we will replace it with welfare as we do not want to know it. We…

next Monday we will celebrate Earth Day. I wonder if we will celebrate Earth Day in a bipartisan way. It is true that in recent years, we had witnessed some improvement in environmental standards for clean air and water, due in large part…

Ron Brown was a bridgebuilder, a peacemaker, a soldier for souls, a fisher for young men and young women. Out of the ashes and wreckage of that faraway mountain in Bosnia-- something remains--a blade of grass, an idea. The idea--Ron…

I remember seeing that same executive. He said he was not sure what God had in store for him. So part of our hope is that God has in store for him to help push what Ron Brown started. We are also pleased to have Congressman Shays from the…