Tonko: "Give America a Raise"
Press Release
This week, Congressman Paul Tonko took action to force an up-or-down vote on key legislation that would give at least 25 million Americans a pay raise. Tonko was the second Member of Congress to sign a discharge petition, led by Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY), to bring up the Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 1010). The bill increases the minimum wage over three years from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour, indexes future annual increases to inflation, and gradually increases the tipped minimum wage to 70 percent of the minimum wage.
"No one who works full time should have to raise their family in poverty -- end of story. It's time to give America a raise," said Tonko. "That is why we are exhausting all options to raise the minimum wage for 1.5 million New Yorkers. With almost 200 cosponsors, we believe this bill would pass in a bipartisan fashion if given a simple up-or-down vote. For our nation to succeed and move toward a more complete recovery, we need an economy that works for everyone."
The current minimum wage pays only $14,500 per year, so this increase would lift between 1 million and 4.5 million Americans out of poverty. This is critical to those working hard to support their families. A majority of minimum wage workers are women and the average worker who would get this raise is 35 years old.
Further, increasing the minimum wage will help all Americans by growing our economy and creating jobs, generating some $22 billion in increased economic activity and creating 85,000 additional jobs -- including 3,100 in New York. Businesses, like Gap and Costco, have embraced paying a higher minimum wage because it will strengthen their bottom line, with more productive employees, less turnover, and more customers who have more money to spend.
The Fair Minimum Wage Act was introduced by Rep. George Miller on March 6, 2013, and has 194 cosponsors, but the House majority has failed to schedule a hearing or a mark-up on the bill. The discharge petition will require the House to consider the minimum wage legislation once a majority of Members of Congress (218) have signed the petition.
Source