Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, a hot economy is leading to higher wages. There are 7.3 million unfilled jobs which puts all workers in a good position to receive higher wages, and we have seen robust wage growth for nearly a year in all categories. Unfortunately, this amendment does nothing to prevent the negative impacts of H.R. 582. Calling this amendment a fig leaf is an insult to fig leaves. First, the amendment requires that GAO study only--only--the effects of the first two of the seven wage hikes in H.R. 582, rather than the actual effect of the bill which is increasing the minimum wage by 107 percent to $15 an hour and indexing the wage rate forever after that. As my colleagues well know, the first two wage hikes in the bill will not be as damaging as the increase to $15. So the results of the proposed GAO study are rigged to avoid use the damaging 107 percent hike as the appropriate benchmark. Second, this amendment has no teeth. It merely says that Congress can make recommendations after the first two wage hikes have gone into effect. Give me a break. But there is no requirement that Congress do anything in response to these recommendations, and there is no fast- track authority in this amendment. Third, we already have in our possession a recent detailed and highly credible study of the effects of a 107 percent wage hike to the current Federal minimum wage.…”