Joe Morelle: “I include in the Record letters from the American Association of University Women, the Patriotic Millionaires, the…”

“I include in the Record letters from the American Association of University Women, the Patriotic Millionaires, the National Education Association, and the NAACP, all in support of H.R. 582. AAUW, July 15, 2019. Dear Representative: On behalf of the more than 170,000 bipartisan members and supporters of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), I urge you to vote for the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582) when it comes to the House floor for a vote and oppose any harmful amendments and any possible motion to recommit. The Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582) is critical legislation which would gradually increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 per hour and then require that the minimum wage increase be based on changes in the median wage. It would also eliminate the tipped minimum wage and prohibit the use of subminimum wages for employees with disabilities. Today, millions of women live in poverty because our federal minimum wage is inadequate for ensuring the economic well-being of workers and their families. The federal minimum wage is currently only $7.25 per hour and just $2.13 per hour for tipped workers. Women comprise a majority of the low-wage workforce, and African American women and Latinas are significantly overrepresented in the low-wage workforce. Nearly two-thirds of minimum wage workers in the United States are women, as well as two-thirds of workers in tipped jobs.…”