[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 24, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H3734]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            THE MINIMUM WAGE

  (Mrs. KENNELLY asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. KENNELLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about increasing the 
minimum wage. I would like to focus on one particular type of low-wage 
worker--women. Almost 60 percent of those making minimum wage are 
female. Many times, these are women with children to support--women 
whose alternative would be to go on welfare. As one who has 
participated in the debate on welfare reform for many years, I can tell 
you this: The single best way to keep people off welfare is to make 
work pay.
  Raising the minimum wage will make an enormous difference for many of 
these families. For them, it would mean an extra $1,800 a year to put 
in the family bank account. This one increase equates to an average 
spent for 7 months of groceries, or 4 months of housing, or 9 months of 
utility bills. This is no time for political games--raising the minimum 
wage is long overdue. The wage earners struggling to support their 
families know it. The President has said and I agree: if you work full-
time, year-round, you shouldn't be poor. Raising the minimum wage takes 
us toward that goal. I believe we should raise it now.

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