Representative Schwartz: American Families Deserve a Raise
Tens of millions of everyday American families are struggling with the skyrocketing costs of ordinary living expenses and what does the Republican Congress do to help out families?
Nothing. For the sixth time in just the past three weeks, Congressional Republicans have refused to raise the minimum wage, said Rep. Schwartz.
The minimum wage has been $5.15 since 1997, yet under the Republican controlled Congress gasoline, home energy costs, education, and healthcare expenses have all increased exponentially.
Republicans in Washington are fond of empty rhetoric declaring that a rise in the minimum wage hurts businesses and the economy. The reality is that raising the minimum wage would help businesses by providing lower income families with increased buying power, added Schwartz.
Rep. Schwartz is a cosponsor of the federal Fair Minimum Wage Act, which would increase the minimum wage to $7.25.
Schwartz also praised Governor Rendell for signing into law this week a bill that will raise the Pennsylvania state minimum wage. Under the Pennsylvania legislation, the Pennsylvania minimum wage will rise from $5.15 per hour to $6.25 on January 1, 2007. In July 2007 the state minimum wage will increase to $7.15 per hour.
Small businesses with less than ten full-time employees will see more incremental increases, from $5.65 an hour starting January 1, 2007 to $6.65 on July 1, 2007 and $7.15 on July 1, 2008.
Congress has a responsibility to follow the lead of states such as Pennsylvania, and do the right thing by giving a raise to hard working Americans in every state, said Rep. Schwartz.
According to the Rendell Administration, of the 423,000 Pennsylvanians eligible for the minimum wage increase 40,000 reside in Philadelphia and 15,000 in Montgomery County.
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