[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6501-6502]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              MINIMUM WAGE FAIRNESS ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 354, the 
minimum-wage legislation.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the motion.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 354, S. 2223, a bill to 
     provide for an increase in the Federal minimum wage and to 
     amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend increased 
     expensing limitations and the treatment of certain real 
     property as section 179 property.


                                Schedule

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, following my remarks and those of the 
Republican leader, the Senate will be in morning business until 10:30 
a.m. this morning. The Republicans will control the first half and the 
majority will control the final half. Following morning business, the 
time until noon will be equally divided and controlled between the two 
leaders or their designees prior to a cloture vote on the motion to 
proceed to the minimum-wage bill at 12 p.m. today. At 4 p.m. there will 
be additional rollcall votes in relation to nominations.
  Mr. President, later today, as I have announced, we are going to 
have, we hope, the beginning of a debate on the increase of the Federal 
minimum wage. Millions of American workers will be watching how each 
Senator votes today. To them it is a matter of survival.
  They will be observing to see if we ensure that a full-time worker in 
America receives a livable wage.
  For Republicans, this vote will demonstrate whether they truly care 
about our economy. Republicans have fashioned themselves over the years 
as defenders of the economy. Congressional Republicans have told the 
American people they are the party of jobs and financial prosperity. 
How illogical then that the Senate Republicans today will not be 
supportive of legislation to increase the minimum wage.
  What is preventing my Republican colleagues from giving the American 
workers a livable wage--a fair shot--knowing that 75 percent of the 
American people support increasing the minimum wage? If Americans are 
searching for an answer as to why they would refuse to raise the 
minimum wage, they should look no farther than the Republicans' 
billionaire benefactors--I repeat, billionaire benefactors--the Koch 
brothers. Absolutely no one was surprised yesterday when Americans for 
Prosperity, which is only one of the Koch-funded political 
organizations, instructed Republicans in Congress to vote against a 
minimum-wage increase. They said: We are going to score this vote.
  What does that mean? It means if you vote yes, you are not going to 
get any help from Charlie and David. They want a ``no'' vote so they 
can make Charlie and Dave happy.
  In case any of their followers in the Senate were to experience a 
change of heart and be inclined to vote for an increase, the 
organizations have warned that they will really go after these people. 
Again, I repeat, score the vote.
  In other words, when it comes time for the Koch brothers to play the 
role of Santa Claus, Republicans should know that Charles and David are 
making a list and checking it twice--probably more than that. Even 
though 75 percent of Americans support this legislation--and our 
economy stands to profit from a wage increase--the will of the Koch 
brothers seems to be the top priority for my Republican colleagues.
  Former Governor Pawlenty, who was considered by many people in the 
last election cycle to be the right person for the Republicans to 
nominate for President, came out today strongly and said words to the 
effect of: I am not afraid of the Koch brothers. I believe the minimum 
wage should be increased.
  My Republican colleagues should listen to this respected Republican 
leader.
  To add to the Republicans' theater of the absurd, the House of 
Representatives Budget Committee is holding a hearing today on poverty 
in America. How about that.
  The Presiding Officer will recall that committee chairman Paul Ryan 
ran for Vice President. He was part of the ticket that labeled 47 
percent of Americans as moochers and not deserving the Republicans' 
attention--moochers. Representative Paul Ryan himself has even called 
struggling Americans ``takers.'' Taking into account his well-
documented disdain for hard-working Americans trying to help their 
families, I am anxious to learn how Representative Ryan plans to 
eradicate poverty since he considers them takers and moochers. Maybe he 
will need to check with the Koch brothers first, as it seems he did 
with his recent budget proposal.
  While House Republicans hold hearings and Senate Republicans do 
nothing, Senate Democrats are doing something. We continue to propose 
meaningful legislation, such as this minimum-wage bill, that gives 
American families a fair shot at prosperity. The Republicans 
filibustered extended unemployment benefits. They filibustered giving 
women the right to make the same amount of money as men. Why should my 
daughter get 77 cents when a man doing the same job she does gets $1? 
It is unfair, but they filibustered

[[Page 6502]]

that. We are going to continue to propose meaningful legislation.
  Senate Republicans assert that increasing the minimum wage will not 
help working families. That assertion is not only wrong, it makes no 
sense. It is illogical. Twenty-eight million Americans stand to benefit 
from an increase in the minimum wage. I repeat: About 10 percent of all 
Americans stand to gain from the legislation before this body. We are 
going to vote to see if we can begin debate at noon today.
  Republicans assert that boosting the minimum wage would hurt 
businesses and slow down our economic recovery. Almost 75 percent of 
small businesses support raising the minimum wage. Why? It creates more 
business for them. It is good for the economy. The assertion that 
boosting the minimum wage would hurt businesses, again, is wrong and it 
is illogical.
  Researchers at the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank have found consumer 
spending increases--yes, increases--dramatically following a minimum-
wage hike and businesses reap the benefits of a minimum-wage increase. 
That is what these experts said. This minimum-wage legislation is good 
for American workers, businesses, and the economy, but Republicans 
refuse to even allow us to debate the issue. Instead, they have 
signaled their intention to filibuster the minimum-wage legislation 
just as they have filibustered virtually everything the President 
suggested during the past 5 years.
  When it comes to helping working-class families, the Republicans in 
Washington are echoing what the Republican leader declared last week in 
Kentucky: It is not my job to create jobs.
  Well, it is his job. It is the Republicans' job, it is my job, and it 
is the job of every Member of Congress to do everything we can to help 
create jobs. That is why in addition to raising the minimum wage, which 
will create jobs, we believe there should be something done about the 
infrastructure deficit we have in this country which would help create 
tens of thousands of jobs. It is so badly needed.
  Today we have an opportunity to help our hard-working constituents 
from sea to shining sea and show them that we are attentive to their 
needs.
  I urge my Republican colleagues to join us and Governor Pawlenty and 
give American workers a fair shot at the American dream by ensuring 
they are paid a livable wage. At the end of the day our job is to give 
every American a fair shot to provide for themselves and their 
families--no welfare, just a job.


                       Reservation of Leader Time

  Will the Chair announce the business of the day.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 
leadership time is reserved.

                          ____________________