Rangel Calls for Minimum Wage Increase

Statement

Congressman Charles B. Rangel, who represents the 13th Congressional District of New York that includes Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx, released the following statement to acknowledge the last increase of the federal minimum wage on July 24, 2009:

"When President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed federal minimum wage into law in 1938, his goal was to keep America's workers out of poverty. July 24, 2009 was the last time the federal minimum wage increased, rising from $6.55 to $7.25 an hour. As the cost of living continues to grow, millions of American workers who earn a $7.25 hourly wage--about $15,000 for full-time and year-round work--still struggle with the challenges of poverty and raising their families.

I am proud that New York is leading the nation in advocating for economic justice. Earlier this year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation enacting a statewide $15 minimum wage plan. In Congress, I co-sponsored H.R. 2150, the Raise the Wage Act, which will raise the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020 for nearly 38 million people. Along with these initiatives that create better economic opportunities for New Yorkers, I will continue my fight to keep the American Dream alive for all hard-working American families whose states have kept their minimum wage below a living level."

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