Chairman Miller: Today, Minimum Wage Workers Get a Much-Needed Pay Raise

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, spoke today at a rally on Capitol Hill to celebrate the first national minimum wage increase in a decade. Under legislation sponsored by Miller and enacted into law earlier this year, the minimum wage today rose from $5.15 per hour to $5.85 per hour. Under the law, the minimum wage will further increase to $6.55 on July 24, 2008, and to $7.25 on July 24, 2009. The increases will boost the incomes of millions of workers around the country over the next two years.

Below are Miller’s remarks for today’s rally as prepared for delivery.

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It took ten years, but – thanks to the American people for voting last November for a new direction for our country – the day has finally come: minimum wage workers are getting a raise.

Starting today and over the next two years, 13 million Americans will benefit from the increase in the minimum wage. There are a lot of families that desperately need this help. Almost half of all families with a minimum wage worker rely solely on the earnings of that worker for their livelihood. 

Once the wage increase takes full effect, a minimum wage worker will earn an extra $4,400 a year.  That can mean more nutritious meals or the opportunity to get better health care coverage.

But make no mistake: This minimum wage increase is just a down payment on the commitment by this Democratic Congress to help all American workers build a better life for themselves and their families.

For a long time, workers have been holding up their end of the bargain – working hard and helping to make our economy strong – without sharing in the benefits of their hard work. That has got to change. This minimum wage increase is an important step in the right direction. But we have much more work to do on behalf of all American families.

That’s why, in the last month, both the House and Senate have voted for historic increases in aid to help families pay for college. We believe that no student should be denied a college education because he or she can’t afford it.

That’s why majorities in both the House and Senate have voted in favor of restoring workers’ rights to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions.

And that’s why the Democratic Congress is committed to creating good jobs and keeping them here at home, promoting affordable housing, helping families pay for growing energy costs, and making health care more affordable and accessible.

There’s no question that we have our work cut out for us. But we are committed to making sure that, as the economy grows, all Americans benefit.  Every American worker deserves to be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect.

Today is a good day for American workers and their families. And under the Democratic Congress, we are going to make sure that there are many more good days to follow.

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