[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 59 (Thursday, March 30, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E737]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E737]]
                      ELIMINATING THE MINIMUM WAGE

                                 ______


                            HON. RON PACKARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 30, 1995
  Mr. PACKARD. Mr. Speaker, the minimum wage should be eliminated. 
Government has no business determining a person's worth in the job 
market. If you force a business to pay more than a person is worth, 
somebody else is going to be paid less than they are worth to 
compensate for that person's job. Worker wages should be determined by 
competitive market forces, not Government imposed mandates.
  President Clinton's proposed 21 percent wage hike represents a 
powerful blow to the low skilled and young wage earners of America--the 
bulk of the minimum wage population. Legislation to raise the minimum 
wage is no answer to poverty. Instead, it will increase poverty. 
Economists agree that raising the minimum wage would instantly 
eliminate tens of thousands of jobs. The minimum wage is a tax on labor 
and, more importantly, a tax on hiring.
  Increasing the cost of labor and hiring makes it difficult for small 
businesses--the engine for job creation--to hire new workers. The 
minimum wage slams shut the window of opportunity. It denies thousands 
of potential young, low-skilled workers the opportunity to better 
themselves and contribute to their communities.
  Government exists to serve the needs of the people. A federally 
imposed minimum wage increase works against the needs of American 
workers and small businesses--shrinking the job base while raising 
costs. Our economy functions best when left alone, not when meddled 
with by Government bureaucrats.


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