[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
[May 23, 1996]
[Page 815]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on House of Representatives Action on Minimum Wage Legislation
May 23, 1996

    I commend the House for responding to my challenge and voting to 
give millions of America's hardest workers a raise.
    A bipartisan majority rejected the efforts of the Republican 
leadership and recognized that raising the minimum wage is the right 
thing to do. You can't raise a family on $4.25 an hour.
    I am also pleased that the House rejected an effort to defraud the 
American people with a provision that would have eliminated the minimum 
wage altogether, as well as overtime protections, for workers hired at 
fully two-thirds of American businesses. For millions of American 
workers, this hoax would actually have meant lower wages and even a 
return to sweatshop conditions.
    Senator Dole should bring the minimum wage to the Senate floor for a 
clean up-or-down vote before he leaves office. That is the way to honor 
our values of work, family, opportunity, and responsibility.