Alan Simpson: “It is, again, an attempt to drive the issue of minimum wage into the work of the U.S. Senate. There is nothing else to…”

“It is, again, an attempt to drive the issue of minimum wage into the work of the U.S. Senate. There is nothing else to this. I referred to it earlier in the day as somewhat like theater, with myself in the role of Puck and Senator Kennedy in the role of King Lear. It is about class warfare. It is about the rich versus the poor. It is about poor women and poor children. Ladies and gentleman, if we cannot grasp the issue of what we are talking about--we are talking about an issue which on one side the economists tell us that, if it passes, employers will quit hiring anybody. I love the debate about human rights. It is a touching thing. But the best human right is a job. You do not get a job if the employer is not hiring people. It is always stunning to me that some--I do not attribute to a person in any sense--but some who have this strange feeling that they love employees and hate employers. Employers employ employees. I heard one part of the debate several days ago that the taxpayers are not going to pay this--that the employers are going to pay it. Well, who are employers? Employers are taxpayers.”