Bob Menendez: “The Republican proposal we have before us today, I believe, is shameful. The Republicans claim that small businesses…”

“The Republican proposal we have before us today, I believe, is shameful. The Republicans claim that small businesses need tax breaks to offset an increase in the minimum wage, and we Democrats have a proposal that would do just that. But what Republicans are not telling us is that they offer the wealthiest Americans a tax cut of $123 billion but fail to provide working families a decent wage. Under the Republican proposal, minimum wage workers would have to wait 3 years to receive a mere dollar increase in their wages. Tell the woman working 40 hours a week, breaking her back pressing garments or cleaning hotel rooms, that she has to wait 3 years to get a dollar increase in her wage while the wealthiest Americans are getting a $123 billion tax cut. Tell a father, laboring all day in the field or in a factory, facing the indignity of a poverty-level wage, that he has to wait 3 years to get a dollar increase in pay while the wealthy are getting a $123 billion tax cut. Tell a single mom, who leaves her child in the care of strangers, with no idea about the quality of care they receive while she waits on tables, that she has to wait 3 years for a dollar increase in her wages while the wealthy are getting a $123 billion tax cut. We Democrats are not willing to tell those people who get up every day, work hard, play by the rules and at the end of the week find themselves in such circumstances that they must wait.”