[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5630]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     RAISE THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE

  (Ms. KELLY of Illinois asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the 
urgent need to raise the Federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour.
  Since 2009, we have had the same $7.25 per hour minimum wage. Over 
the last 5 years, inflation rates caused the value of that to decrease 
by an average of 13.6 cents per year.
  Today, $7.25 is worth 9 percent less than it was in 2009. For someone 
working full time on minimum wage, this is like getting a $26 decrease 
in pay. Meanwhile, the cost of everyday necessities continues to 
increase. Between basic needs like gas, milk, heat, and electricity, 
Americans are paying $23.19 more per month.
  Many times, I have urged my colleagues on the other side of the aisle 
to do the right thing and allow a vote to ensure American families can 
have the comfort of a livable wage.
  For those who are not working and struggling to keep afloat in these 
tough times, let's vote to extend the unemployment benefits that 
expired.
  I urge my colleagues to stop brushing working Americans under the rug 
and pass a fair minimum wage.

                          ____________________