Issue Position: Income Inequality

Issue Position

The Issue of Our Time

These days you hear a lot of talk from conservatives about how businesses can't afford to pay workers a living wage or provide health benefits while remaining competitive in the marketplace. As a business owner myself, I know it's nonsense. I believe that a company's employees are its greatest assets and that they will take care of you if you take care of them. As your congressman, these are the values that will inform my policies when it comes to creating economic opportunity for all Americans.

RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE

First, we should raise the minimum wage immediately. Increasing the minimum wage is the best way to reduce poverty and increase worker productivity. With that, we also need to pass a law tying the minimum wage to inflation. The federal minimum wage has not gone up since 2009, and it hasn't kept pace with the rising cost of living. It would be almost $11 today if it had kept up with inflation. 35 million Americans would directly benefit from a minimum wage increase. 89% of them are 20 years or older and 30% of them are women. It's one of the best things we can do to reduce poverty. As a business owner, I know firsthand that higher wages pay off in the long run by reducing turnover rates and training costs by making employees more productive.

MAKE BANKING EASIER

We should make banking more accessible to people in every community by having basic banking services at our post offices. This keeps people from falling victim to outrageous interest rates at payday lenders and high banking fees they can't afford. This will be particularly important as market forces push banks to close branches and move their services online. Wal-Mart has already capitalized on this trend by offering check cashing services at their stores, with fees of $3-$6 per check. That may not seem like a lot, but those fees can really add up for struggling families. Banking services at post offices will help those families save money and help the USPS retain its important position serving our country.

EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK

I have three daughters who are young adults. It's ridiculous that in 2016 they're entering a workforce where women are still paid 78 cents for every dollar that a man earns. In Maryland, women earn around 86 cents for every dollar a man earns. While there are a lot of reasons for the disparity, it is unacceptable. Congress needs to pass tougher measures to ensure equal pay for equal work. Equal pay means equal access, and it guarantees that having a family will not affect a woman's right to full compensation. I support President Obama's Paycheck Fairness Act, which is a good first step towards closing the wage gap. We should also find ways to close loopholes that allow companies to pay less simply because a woman holds a different title, but still performs the same work.

GUARANTEED TIME OFF

Congress also needs to pass guaranteed time off. The United States is the only highly developed country that does not have guaranteed paid vacation or sick leave. Nearly one in four Americans have no paid vacation and no paid holidays. As a CEO, I know that all employees deserve to have time they can use for sick leave or much needed vacations.

PAY FOR DAYCARE

Affordable child care is also a serious issue for working families. In Carroll, Frederick, and Montgomery counties, childcare costs more than twice as much as community college. Let's help parents out with tax credits and subsidies for child care.

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