[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 55 (Thursday, April 25, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H3825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            THE MINIMUM WAGE

  (Mr. LINDER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, it is fascinating, the gentleman from 
Missouri was not here 2 years ago asking to help the working poor with 
an increase in the minimum wage, because he had the House controlled by 
Democrats, the Senate controlled by Democrats, and the White House. 
They were not concerned about them then.
  Let me tell you what the Wall Street Journal Review and Outlook call 
them in 1996. Remember when Bill Clinton claimed he was a new Democrat 
precisely because he did not favor a higher minimum wage? Time 
Magazine, by Michael Kramer, from an earlier speech by Bill Clinton: 
``It''--raising the minimum wage--``is the wrong way to raise incomes 
of low-wage earners.'' I think the President was right then. I think he 
is right now.

                              {time}  1100

  The increase in the minimum wage by the President's own chief 
economist will cost low-income earners 100,000 jobs. That is not the 
way to raise the income of workers. Cutting taxes is.

                          ____________________