Weekly
Address: Calling on Congress to Raise the Minimum Wage
The White House
February 15, 2014
Hi, everybody. In this year of
action, I said I’d do everything in my power to expand opportunity for more
Americans. And this week, I took action
to lift more workers’ wages by requiring federal contractors to pay their
employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour. These are workers who serve our troops’
meals, wash their dishes, care for our veterans – Americans who work hard and
will get a raise as these contracts come up.
This will be good for contractors, for taxpayers, and for America’s
bottom line.
We know why this is
important. Our economy has been growing
for four years. Our businesses have
created eight and a half million new jobs.
But while those at the top are doing better than ever, average wages
have barely budged. Too many Americans
are working harder than ever just to get by, let alone get ahead. And that’s been true since long before the
recession hit.
That’s why we’ve got to build an
economy that works for everybody, not just a fortunate few. We’ve got to restore opportunity for all –
the notion that no matter who you are or how you started out, with hard work
and responsibility, you can get ahead in America.
The opportunity agenda I’ve laid
out is built on more new jobs that pay good wages; better training for folks to
fill those jobs; a smarter education for our kids; and making sure honest work
is rewarded. And the action I took this
week will reward hard work for more Americans.
But to finish the job, Congress
needs to act. In the year since I first
asked Congress to raise the minimum wage, six states have passed laws to raise
theirs. More states, cities, counties,
and companies are taking steps to join them.
An overwhelming majority of Americans support raising a minimum wage
that’s worth about 20% less than when Ronald Reagan took office.
Right now, there’s a bill in
Congress that would boost America’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. That’s easy to remember: ten-ten. And remember, the average worker who would
get a raise if Congress acts is about 35 years old. Most lower-wage jobs are held by women. And raising the minimum wage wouldn’t just
raise their wages – its effect would lift wages for about 28 million
Americans. It would lift millions of
Americans out of poverty, and help millions more work their way out of poverty
– without requiring a single dollar in new taxes or spending. It will give more businesses more customers
with more money to spend – and that means growing the economy for everyone.
You deserve to know where the
people who represent you stand on this.
If they don’t support raising the federal minimum wage to ten-ten an
hour, ask them “why not?” The opponents
of raising folks’ wages have deployed the same old arguments for years, and
time and again, they’ve been proven wrong.
Let’s prove them wrong again, and give America a raise. Let’s make opportunity easier to come by for
every American who’s willing to work for it.
Thanks, and have a great weekend. |
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