Political Quotes

“I rise today to voice opposition to this bill, the Tipped Employee Protection Act. Don't be fooled by the name of it. There is nothing proworker in this bill. It is like calling increased air pollution the blue sky initiative. This is just another attempt from my Republican colleagues to create loopholes that allow employers to get away with wage theft. Anyone who has visited my district in downtown Las Vegas and the strip will know that our world-class hospitality workers are the magic behind the glitz and glamour. With the power of organized labor, casino workers, servers, line cooks, housekeepers, and others put Las Vegas on the map as a world-renowned hospitality center. The tourism, gaming, and entertainment industries account for more than 315,000 jobs in our State. We have proven in Nevada that if you pay workers what they deserve, everybody wins. I am especially proud that our State bans subminimum wages for tipped employees. That means, whether an employee has a good or a bad tipping month, an employee can still earn an honest living. More needs to be done to support our workers. This is especially true as the Trump slump threatens our tourism economy and the Trump administration cuts vital safety nets like SNAP. That is why I introduced the LIFT Act last year. It would raise the minimum wage and all subminimum wages to $17 an hour over the next 3 years with annual increases after that.”