New Orleans' Workers and Minimum Wage Increase

Floor Speech

(Mr. JEFFERSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. JEFFERSON. Madam Speaker, the workers of the greater New Orleans area, in large part, are hospitality industry workers. These hardworking men and women greet the world with wide smiles and warm embraces as they welcome millions of tourists and conference attendees to the metropolitan New Orleans area. These workers make sure that the hotel rooms, the restaurants, and other places of rest and recreation are clean, safe, and comfortable.

But behind this public veneer lies another story, a story of the difficult lives of the working poor. These hardworking people never have a chance to take a vacation for themselves, or attend a conference, or benefit from the delights that they make it possible for their city and region to offer. Their wages never crack the poverty level. They are not unionized and have few, if any, job benefits.

So I rise today to applaud the work of this Congress, this new majority, for taking a big step in the right direction by increasing the minimum wage. For the low-wage workers in my area, it means that the nightmare of the single longest stretch in our Nation's history without a minimum wage increase is ending. It means that many of the workers in our area will have a little more food on the table, a little more in the way of resources to house and care for their families, and a lot more dignity.

For this, we thank this Congress.

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