Political Quotes

“This is an attempt by the Republican majority not to allow the whole issue of minimum wage, of raising the minimum wage for American workers to come to the floor. The Republican leadership has blocked it. They could care less about raising the minimum wage. They expect people to work at a $4.25 an hour standard, which is less than people who are on welfare are getting. So much for welfare reform. They claim they are for welfare reform, but they do not want to pay someone who wants to work for a living a decent wage. Apparently they think coolie wages is what we should do, $4.25 an hour. This would simply raise it to $5.15. The last raise was 5 years ago. Workers' moneys in terms of what they make on minimum wage are at a 40-year low. Is there no decency? Do we not care about what people who are trying to work for a living do? The Republican majority does not want this to come to a vote. I may ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, what are they afraid of? All we are saying is that the minimum wage ought to be raised from $4.25 to $5.15. We owe it to America's workers to do this. This is simple decency. What are you afraid of?”