Political Quotes

“The gentlewoman was talking about the impact beyond just family incomes, which is important. And we want to give all Americans a raise. While the priorities on the other side were about giving corporations and billionaires more wealth creation, we are laser-focused on putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Americans. But the question I have is around the recent research with States that, following an increase in wages, we actually can see the rates of suicides fall, consumer spending rise, and a more productive workforce. There is no place in America where a full-time worker making $7.25 an hour can support their entire family, let alone afford basic needs. There is no place in America where a full-time worker making the current $7.25 an hour can support their entire family. And, as I said, the productivity piece--which, again, my colleagues are always talking about the need to make America more competitive and more productive. Well, in one study, researchers tracked 10,000 workers at about 200 department stores and found that a dollar increase in the minimum wage led a typical employee to sell about 5.4 percent more per hour. So, if we give workers the wage that they are deserving of, they will put that extra money to work for the American economy, unlike giving more tax breaks to the wealthy. For a worker earning the minimum wage, the increase could be almost 20 percent.…”