Orrin Hatch: “I have always believed that increasing the minimum wage is not an effective way to improve living standards for the…”

“I have always believed that increasing the minimum wage is not an effective way to improve living standards for the Nation's working poor. Simply put, raising the minimum wage is a Federal government mandate which creates negative ripples throughout the national economy by making goods and services more expensive for families. Raising the minimum wage closes the doors of many small businesses, and forces companies to move jobs offshore to less costly countries. Such an increase makes it more difficult for many lower skilled U.S. workers to get started in the job market. Small businesses are the engine for economic growth in America and represent a powerful vehicle for opportunity. A minimum wage increase would negatively affect small businesses across the nation and in my home State of Utah.”