Raise the Wage Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I started, like many folks did, working when I was a young man. People have different reasons for seeking employment. I needed to get out of the house, as some things were happening at the house, but I didn't have any skills.

I rode my bike to a nearby farm, and I picked fruit. I didn't make minimum wage because I couldn't pick fruit fast enough, because I didn't have the skills to do that when I was 13 years old, but I learned to show up on time with a good attitude. That is a valuable thing. That is where we start out.

That job wouldn't have been available if this minimum wage of $15, enacted from the Federal level, would have forced that employer to make a choice whether they hired me or hired somebody else. I didn't want to make the minimum wage. I wanted to make the maximum wage, but I had to have some skills.

The next job I got still wasn't minimum wage, but I worked hard. Now, I had the skill of showing up on time with a good attitude. I kept on doing better and better and better for myself because the jobs were available.

Mr. Speaker, if this legislation is enacted, young people and people at the bottom of the economic spectrum that we are trying to help are not going to have that opportunity. That is what this is really about in America, having opportunity.

A minimum wage requirement from the Federal level doesn't draw any distinctions between Los Angeles and Gratz, Pennsylvania, a great little town that I am privileged to represent. It doesn't draw a distinction between Chicago or Shiremanstown. It says they all have to do the same thing. Dover or New York, all the same wage, really.

I don't have tall skyscrapers in central Pennsylvania like they do in New York City, Chicago, and L.A., but I have hardworking people who want the opportunity that is provided by the market.

There are 7.5 million jobs open right now. The market is providing the wages to incentivize people to come to them, and they have an opportunity to go to another job and make even more under the free market.

The Federal Government is going to stifle that with this $15 an hour minimum wage.

Mr. Speaker, I urge us not to vote for this bill.

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