Political Quotes

“I thank Congressman Torres. What he has told us today is about the fact that there are districts in the country, including mine, including so many that we have heard about, where the minimum wage is too low. What we can't do is we can't have a United States of America where what you earn depends on where you live. That is what we are trying to do today, is say that where you live does not impact what you earn or where you work. Today, at a Senate hearing, Costco announced that it would begin paying their workers a $16-an-hour minimum wage. They have already recognized that that $15 level is too low, and they want to keep their workers. The reality is, we know that when people are paid well, then the turnover is less. The commitment is better, and paying a minimum wage, paying something where somebody can go home to their children, can put that food on the table without relying on SNAP benefits, that they can then say: I have done it. I can go work. I can come home. And it doesn't matter whether I live in your district, whether I live in Seattle, or whether I live in Coronado. It doesn't matter because there is a floor that is the same across the country, and it is not a poverty wage. {time} 2015 What we have now is a poverty wage. That is very clear. If you cannot use the minimum wage that we have now to pay your rent, to buy your food, and to pay your utilities, then that is the equivalent of a poverty wage. We know that.…”