Earl Blumenauer: “Providing for their families is a daily struggle for the working poor. Basics like food, shelter and healthcare are out…”

“Providing for their families is a daily struggle for the working poor. Basics like food, shelter and healthcare are out of reach for too many full-time employees and their children. Congress, so far, has not chosen to improve upon this sad situation. What we have seen is welfare reform which threatens the little assistance available for those with low-paying jobs. I fear, Mr. Speaker, that poverty may continue to be the reward many receive for their work. There are solutions to these problems--the proposed minimum wage increase being the most obvious. This simple act will do more to create self-sufficiency than any government program or bureaucracy. I am pleased to be a part of this long overdue adjustment.”