[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 65 (Friday, May 10, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H4884-H4885]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING MOTHERS AND WOULD-BE MOTHERS ON MOTHER'S DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina [Mrs. Clayton] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, we will celebrate Mother's Day.
  As a grandmother and mother, each year I look forward to this special 
day, this honored celebration.
  But, Mother's Day is not just about fancy flowers, fruit baskets and 
pretty greeting cards.
  Mother's Day is not about colorful scarves, chocolate candy or an 
evening out.
  Mother's Day is about family and the role of women in the family.
  Mother's Day is about respect, dignity and self-esteem--the same 
qualities that come from having a job, working at a decent and fair 
wage and making a contribution.
  Mother's Day is not only about reverence, but it is also not about 
ridicule and contempt.
  Mothers are ridiculed and held in contempt when women workers are not 
paid a decent and fair wage and when Congress tries to cut programs for 
women.
  Yet, mothers and would-be-mothers are being ridiculed and held in 
contempt by a Congress that does not seem to care.
  It would appear that our colleagues did not listen or perhaps did not 
hear during consideration of the fiscal year 1996 budget.
  On Medicare, Medicaid, education funding, the earned income tax 
credit and other areas, they are proposing the same kind of cuts this 
time that were rejected last time.
  Yet, while proposing these cuts--many of which were vetoed by the 
President--our colleagues on the right want to give tax breaks 
amounting to $176 billion, including a capital gains tax cut for the 
wealthiest Americans.
  And, while proposing a tax cut for the wealthy, they are opposing a 
wage increase the for lowest income workers.
  There are 117,000 workers in the State of North Carolina working at 
or below the Federal minimum wage.
  Who are they?
  They are primarily adults.
  More than 7 out of 10 of all minimum wage workers are adults over the 
age of 20.
  Also, they are primarily women.
  More than 6 out of 10 of all minimum-wage workers are female.
  And, of great significance to my State, they are primarily from rural 
communities.
  It is twice as likely that a minimum wage worker will be from a rural 
community than from an urban community.
  But, even more disturbingly, as we are poised to pause and celebrate 
Mother's Day, almost 4 out of 10 of all minimum wage workers are the 
sole wage earner in a family.
  Single, female heads of households make up a large part of the 
minimum wage work force.
  As a result, 58 percent of all poor children come from families whose 
parent or parents who work full time.
  Twelve million minimum wage workers in America; most of them are 
women, many with children.
  Mother's Day is about food on the table, a roof over one's head, 
money to pay the doctor and money to get to the doctor's office.

[[Page H4885]]

  Mother's Day is about a warm place to sleep in winter and a safe 
place in summer, clean clothing to wear and comfortable shoes with 
which to walk.
  To those who oppose a modest increase in the minimum wage, I would 
say, if you truly want to honor and pay tribute to mothers, allow them 
to earn extra pay for a year's work, an amount that you earn in a few 
days time.
  An increase of 90 cents in the minimum wage is an additional $1800 
for a minimum-wage worker. That modest increase could mean a livable 
wage to those mothers.
  A livable wage is the best incentive to encourage work over welfare.
  When a woman works, she has self-respect.
  When a woman has a job, she has pride.
  When a woman earns a wage that allows her to live and to help support 
her family, she has dignity.
  This week, Congress could have made Mother's Day 1996 a day to 
remember.
  Congress could have given millions of America's women the self-
respect, pride and dignity they deserve on Mother's day.
  Congress could have increased the minimum wage this week.
  That's what Mother's Day is about.
  On Sunday, we celebrate Mother's Day.
  But, Mother's Day is not about honoring women one day out of the 
year.
  Mother's Day is about honoring women 365 days each year.
  I invite each of my colleagues to join this grandmother and mother in 
making sure that we observe Mother's Day, every day.

                          ____________________