Jay Inslee: “what we want to point out and we want to make sure, because I think I have confirmed this with the Republican staff, the…”

“what we want to point out and we want to make sure, because I think I have confirmed this with the Republican staff, the way this works, if this bill passes, in the State of Washington the minimum wage goes down the next day $1.78 an hour. The gentleman is correct. If the State legislature got together and essentially overrode the Republicans in Congress, they might be able to get it back up where it was. But you know what? You Republicans in the State legislature, I say ``you,'' Republican-controlled legislators, I will give you a clue: it is not going to happen. That is why we object to cutting the minimum wage in any State by any Congress of any party. Unfortunately, that is what you are doing. You can confirm it with counsel. That is why we think it is an abomination. Mr. McCRERY. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, it is a legitimate issue the gentleman brought up, but I would hope he would agree that freely elected representatives in his State, or any other State, whether Republican or Democrat, should in fact be able to express the will of the people who elect them, whether they are Republicans or Democrats; and if in his State they want to, whoever they are, Republicans or Democrats, want to go back to the minimum wage they had prior to the passage of this bill, they may. This bill in no way prohibits that. So the gentleman's complaint about this bill could easily be taken care of, the same way his State originally enhanced the minimum wage in Washington.…”