Lincoln Chafee: “My great concern in connection with the minimum wage is, if it does not include some kind of a ``training period'' or…”

“My great concern in connection with the minimum wage is, if it does not include some kind of a ``training period'' or ``opportunity period,'' whatever you call it, that on the one hand, we are demanding folks on welfare get off and all of us have supported here provisions that require these people to be off welfare, whether it is in 2 years, 5 years or whatever it is. Fifty percent must be off in a certain length of time. Where are they going to get jobs? Who is going to hire them? So I strongly support some kind of a period--call it a training wage, or an opportunity wage. I do not think it should be restricted to those 19 years of age or younger. This is a very serious problem we have because we cannot deal with welfare reform without considering what is happening under the minimum wage.”