WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congresswoman Capps celebrated passage of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007.  This is the second bill to pass as part of the Democrats’ ambitious “First 100 Hours” legislative agenda.  In a speech on the House floor, Capps noted that nearly two-thirds of all minimum wage workers - or 9 million workers- are women and highlighted raising the minimum wage as part of the on going effort to close the wage gap between men and women.  The House voted 315 to 116 to give working families a long overdue pay raise, increasing the federal minimum wage by $2.10 per hour from $5.15 to $7.25 in three steps over the next two years. 

“Today, House Democrats continue to pass legislation to fulfill our pledge to take our country in a new direction,” said Capps.  “All across America millions of families are struggling to make ends meet as they facing rapidly increasing housing, health care, education and energy costs.  As the cost of living continues to increase the federal minimum wage has remained stagnate, frozen by House Republican inaction for the last 10 years.  It is now at its lowest level, in real terms, in over 50 years. 

 “Now led by a new Democratic Majority, the House is acting responsibly to help working families, particularly women, left behind by these short sided policies for too long.  Today with bipartisan support, my colleagues and I sent a strong message that economic opportunity and financial security should be accessible for all Americans.  Ensuring that all our citizens can realize the promise of the American Dream begins by providing this modest increase in the federal minimum wage.” 

Excerpts From Congresswoman Capps Speech on HR 2 – Fair Minimum Wage Act

January 10, 2007

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of HR 2 and am proud to be one of its cosponsors.

I stand here today in my capacity as Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues to reiterate how vital this legislation is for women across our country.

Women and girls still lag far behind men in terms of earnings.

And nearly two-thirds of all minimum wage workers are women.

This translates into over 9 million women who will benefit from a long overdue increase in the minimum wage.

It’s abominable that for the past 10 years, we have sat by and watched the costs of health care, child care, food and, for that matter, just about everything else rise higher and higher.

Minimum wage earners have been forced into longer hours, more jobs, more time away from their families.

I urge my colleagues to vote yes on HR 2 and take a great step towards achieving greater economic equality for women.

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Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.