Mr. Speaker, today we have the opportunity to raise the wages of 13 million Americans, and we should take it.
Why raise the minimum wage in America? For the simple reason that men and women in the richest Nation on Earth should not work full time and still be relegated to living in poverty. What does it mean for the father or mother in a family of three to live on the current minimum wage? It means an income of $10,000 a year.
Imagine living in Glendale, Burbank or Pasadena, or any city in America, and trying to get by on $10,000 a year. A raise in the minimum wage will be an additional $4,000 for that family of three. It will mean more groceries on the table and a greater opportunity to get health care. It will mean potentially pulling that family out of poverty. It is the right thing to do. We have the opportunity today to make that happen for millions, and we should take it.