[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 58 (Wednesday, May 1, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4569-S4570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              MINIMUM WAGE

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, on tomorrow, I expect the Senate to 
conclude its action on the illegal immigration bill. During the earlier 
discussion on the immigration bill, I tried to take advantage of the 
opportunity to offer an amendment that would have raised the minimum 
wage 90 cents--45 cents this year, 45 cents the next year--90 cents for 
working families. We were unable to get sufficient recognition to put 
that proposal before the U.S. Senate, and the cloture motion was put 
before us, which effectively restricted our opportunity to take any 
action on the minimum wage.
  A further cloture motion was offered, which further prohibits us from 
having considered the minimum wage, even if we had extended the time, 
which under the rules would have permitted debate and discussion for 
some 30 hours.
  So for this phase of the minimum wage debate, we will conclude 
tomorrow, through the decision of the Senate, action on the illegal 
immigration bill and any opportunity to have the minimum wage amendment 
before the Senate.
  Then we will move on to other business and, as I have stated at other 
times, as the minority leader, Senator Daschle, has stated, and as 
others have stated--my colleagues Senator Kerry and Senator Wellstone--
we will look for the first opportunity to offer that amendment.
  It is a rather poignant time, Mr. President, as we are having this 
debate on the minimum wage, because in 1960, during the campaign of 
President Kennedy, one of the important issues was the issue of the 
increase in the minimum wage.
  In the 1960 campaign against Richard Nixon, John Kennedy ran an ad in 
which he called for an increase in the minimum wage. And in the ad, he 
sat in front of the camera and said:



[[Page S4570]]


       Mr. Nixon has said that a $1.25 minimum wage is extreme. 
     That's $50 a week. What is extreme about that? I believe the 
     next Congress and the President should pass a minimum wage 
     for $1.25 an hour. Americans must be paid enough to live.
  I am reminded of the same issue before us today. This Friday, May 3, 
is the 35th anniversary of Bob Dole's vote against President Kennedy's 
legislation raising the minimum wage from $1 to $1.25.
  Bob Dole and Richard Nixon were wrong to oppose President Kennedy's 
minimum wage hike 35 years ago, and I believe Bob Dole and Richard 
Armey are wrong to oppose President Clinton's minimum wage hike today.
  Mr. President, this issue has been debated and discussed. It is as 
old as some 60 years of our history. We know what the issues are: Are 
we going to respect work? Are we going to honor work? Are we going to 
say to men and women who are working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks of the 
year that they ought to have a livable wage to be able to provide for 
their family, their children, to pay a mortgage, put food on the table, 
are we going to meet our responsibilities to those working families, 
which at other times we have done?
  This issue will be before us again and again and again until we are 
able to meet our responsibilities to the working families in this 
country. That we pledge, that we commit ourselves to. And just as we 
found that we were successful in raising the minimum wage in the early 
1960's from $1 to $1.25, all the way up to where it is at the present 
time, we are going to be successful in raising it to $5.15 an hour as 
well.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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