Barack Obama 2014-01-01 1 Statement on Gap Incorporated's Decision To Increase Employee Wages February 19, 2014 In my State of the Union Address, I asked more businesses to do what they can to raise their employees' wages. Today I applaud Gap Inc. for announcing that they intend to raise wages for their employees beginning this year, a decision that will benefit about 65,000 workers in the U.S. As a chief executive, I've required Federal contractors to pay their employees a wage of at least $10.10 an hour, and more States are taking steps to raise their minimum wage as well. But only action from Congress can make a difference nationwide. Right now there is a bill in front of both the House and the Senate that would boost America's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and lift wages for more than 16 million workers, all without requiring a single dollar in new taxes or spending. It's time to pass that bill and give America a raise.