[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14022]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE

  (Mr. BAIRD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, because of Republican inaction, minimum-wage 
workers have not been making a living wage for years now, and are 
forced to work 40 hours a week for wages that don't give enough money 
to afford increased housing, food, health care or gas costs. Gas prices 
are so high right now that it takes a minimum-wage worker an entire 8-
hour shift just to afford one tank of gas.
  Americans should be aware that CEOs in the first 4 hours they work 
make more in those 4 hours than a minimum-wage worker would earn in an 
entire year. The American people know that $5.15 an hour is not enough 
to support a family, not by a darn sight.
  Today, House Republicans have another chance to support expanding 
economic opportunity to millions of workers they have ignored for 9 
years now. It is time the House Republicans think of someone other than 
their wealthy special interest friends and support average working 
Americans. Increase the minimum wage.

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