Chuck Schumer: “the Republicans could not do it clean. They knew that the American people, over 80 percent, wanted an increase in the…”

“the Republicans could not do it clean. They knew that the American people, over 80 percent, wanted an increase in the minimum wage law, and what they should have done is simply said they made a mistake and, yes, we are going to pass it. But because they are so wrapped up in the throes of certain special interest groups that are eager to pay no minimum wage or eliminate the minimum wage, they had to bollix it up. And what they did is end up taking one step forward and two steps back, for while they do raise the minimum wage in this proposal, they take it away from anywhere from 3 to 10 million. Does anyone in America believe that we should remove the minimum wage in the garment industry sweatshops, with industrial homework, with farm workers? With the Goodling amendment that is what their proposal will do. As a result, they cannot come forward, those on the other side in the Republican Party, and say that they are for work and say that they are for justice and say that they are for fairness. Instead, the only thing they will be able to say after tonight's exercise is that they cared more about the selfish few who are unwilling to pay a mere $5.15 an hour for the worst and hardest kind of labor in America than they cared about making the American people who work hard day in, day out, those at the bottom end of the wage scale, receive a decent wage and move off welfare and on to work.”