Gerald Kleczka: “we have heard a lot about studies today. Let me give my colleagues the benefit of my own study. Years past, I owned a…”

“we have heard a lot about studies today. Let me give my colleagues the benefit of my own study. Years past, I owned a small business. We employed up to eight people. They all received the minimum wage. Those who were with us longer received much more. We paid the Social Security tax, unemployment insurance, the workmen's compensation. At the end of the day, we still made a profit, in fact paid off the business in record time. So, all the woes we are hearing today, I know from personal experience, are not necessarily true. My Republican friends and their inconsistency boggles my mind. On one hand we are told, if we increase the minimum wage, poor people in the country are going to lose food stamps, they are going to lose earned income tax credit. On the other hand, these same Republicans are for cutting food stamps. Last year they tried to take $20 billion out of earned income tax credit. So to the poor I say: You just cannot win for losing with the Republicans. It is amazing. Last, let me encourage my friends like the gentleman from California [Mr. Riggs], the author of the amendment, when it comes time for the Goodling amendments, I ask you to join me in opposing them. We can see ourselves this afternoon raising the minimum wage on one hand and talking it away with two amendments on the other hand.”