Rubén Hinojosa: “this week was supposed to finally have a vote on increasing the minimum wage for more than 7 million Americans.…”

“this week was supposed to finally have a vote on increasing the minimum wage for more than 7 million Americans. Unfortunately, it appears the Republican leadership is willing to delay a vote on the must-pass Labor-HHS appropriations bill rather than actually have a real floor debate and a vote on the minimum wage. This is a real disservice to every American. An increase in the minimum wage does not only benefit the minimum-wage workers, it also helps millions of middle-class workers who would also see their hourly wages increase as a result of a higher minimum wage. But this is also a question of fairness. It has been 9 years since the minimum-wage workers last received a pay raise. Does that sound fair? Today the minimum wage is its lowest level if you take into account inflation. Do my Republican colleagues really believe that we should continue to force more than 7 million Americans to live on less than $11,000 a year? That may have been a liveable wage 10 years ago, but it surely isn't now. We should do the right thing and expand economic opportunity to millions of Americans who are just trying to make a living wage. ____________________”