William R. Richardson: “I am here to commend President Clinton for initiating the minimum wage increase, 45 cents for this next year and 45…”

“I am here to commend President Clinton for initiating the minimum wage increase, 45 cents for this next year and 45 cents for the next. It is interesting to note that this morning in USA Today, America's newspaper, 77 percent of all Americans approve of this measure. We cannot allow hard-working Americans to work full-time and not make enough money to pull themselves out of poverty. Eleven million Americans in this country rely on the minimum wage to support themselves and their families. Sixty-four percent of all minimum wage workers are adults with families to feed and rent payments to make. Today the average minimum wage worker brings home about half of his or her household's weekly earnings. Let me tell you about a family who lives in Clovis, NM, who shared their monthly budget with me. They are a married couple with a 4-year-old son. They both work 40 hours a week at minimum wage jobs. They pay $450 a month for child care, $70 dollars for utilities, $435 for a two-bedroom apartment, $110 for a car payment, $45 for car insurance. After fixed costs, they have just under $300 a month left to pay for gas, clothes, groceries, and health care. If their little boy gets an ear infection and goes to the doctor, they must feed their family on $35 a week. if their car break down, they feed and clothe their family on $20 a week. This family is not alone.…”