[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8565]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         AMERICA NEEDS A RAISE

  (Mr. ELLISON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, America needs a raise.
  It has been years since we have increased the Federal minimum wage, 
which is an abysmal $7.25. All over this country, we see ballot 
measures passing in red States and blue State increasing the minimum 
wage, like Alaska and Arkansas. We have seen the minimum wage go up in 
New Jersey and all over the country. While people in Congress may not 
realize that America needs a raise, people across the United States do.
  Today I am going to participate in a press conference to say that we 
are going to propose a bill to raise the minimum to $15 an hour and 
index it. This is a simple recognition that if you work full time, you 
shouldn't live in poverty. If you work full time, you shouldn't have to 
rely on food stamps, you shouldn't have to rely on housing assistance, 
and you shouldn't have to rely on medical assistance.
  I believe in those programs and I support them, but if you work hard 
every day, you shouldn't have to rely on government assistance just to 
put food on the table.
  Mr. Speaker, two-thirds of the people who benefit from an increase in 
the minimum wage are women. This is a gender issue. This is a general 
inequality problem.
  We have to fight. America needs a raise, Mr. Speaker. Let's do it.

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