“RAISE THE WAGE ACT” published by the Congressional Record on July 18, 2019

Volume 165, No. 121 covering the 1st Session of the 116th Congress (2019 - 2020) was published by the Congressional Record.

The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.

“RAISE THE WAGE ACT” mentioning the Federal Reserve System was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H7095-H7128 on July 18, 2019.

The Federal Reserve is the US's central bank, expanding many times during great financial uncertainty and panic. It has faced numerous criticisms since its creation in 1913, such as making the Great Depression worse and for lacking transparency and audits.

The publication is reproduced in full below:

RAISE THE WAGE ACT

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 492, I call up the bill (H.R. 582) to provide for increases in the Federal minimum wage, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 492, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Education and Labor, printed in the bill, modified by the amendment printed in part A of House Report 116-155, is adopted, and the bill, as amended, is considered read.

The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:

H.R. 582

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Raise the Wage Act''.

SEC. 2. MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES.

(a) In General.--Section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)) is amended to read as follows:

``(1) except as otherwise provided in this section, not less than--

``(A) $8.40 an hour, beginning on the effective date under section 7 of the Raise the Wage Act;

``(B) $9.50 an hour, beginning 1 year after such effective date;

``(C) $10.60 an hour, beginning 2 years after such effective date;

``(D) $11.70 an hour, beginning 3 years after such effective date;

``(E) $12.80 an hour, beginning 4 years after such effective date;

``(F) $13.90 an hour, beginning 5 years after such effective date;

``(G) $15.00 an hour, beginning 6 years after such effective date; and

``(H) beginning on the date that is 7 years after such effective date, and annually thereafter, the amount determined by the Secretary under subsection (h);'',

(b) Determination Based on Increase in the Median Hourly Wage of All Employees.--Section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``(h)(1) Not later than each date that is 90 days before a new minimum wage determined under subsection (a)(1)(H) is to take effect, the Secretary shall determine the minimum wage to be in effect under this subsection for each period described in subsection (a)(1)(H). The wage determined under this subsection for a year shall be--

``(A) not less than the amount in effect under subsection

(a)(1) on the date of such determination;

``(B) increased from such amount by the annual percentage increase, if any, in the median hourly wage of all employees as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics; and

``(C) rounded up to the nearest multiple of $0.05.

``(2) In calculating the annual percentage increase in the median hourly wage of all employees for purposes of paragraph

(1)(B), the Secretary, through the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shall compile data on the hourly wages of all employees to determine such a median hourly wage and compare such median hourly wage for the most recent year for which data are available with the median hourly wage determined for the preceding year.''.

SEC. 3. TIPPED EMPLOYEES.

(a) Base Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees and Tips Retained by Employees.--Section 3(m)(2)(A)(i) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203(m)(2)(A)(i)) is amended to read as follows:

``(i) the cash wage paid such employee, which for purposes of such determination shall be not less than--

``(I) for the 1-year period beginning on the effective date under section 7 of the Raise the Wage Act, $3.60 an hour;

``(II) for each succeeding 1-year period until the hourly wage under this clause equals the wage in effect under section 6(a)(1) for such period, an hourly wage equal to the amount determined under this clause for the preceding year, increased by the lesser of--

``(aa) $1.50; or

``(bb) the amount necessary for the wage in effect under this clause to equal the wage in effect under section 6(a)(1) for such period, rounded up to the nearest multiple of $0.05; and

``(III) for each succeeding 1-year period after the increase made pursuant to subclause (II), the minimum wage in effect under section 6(a)(1); and''.

(b) Tips Retained by Employees.--Section 3(m)(2)(A) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203(m)(2)(A)) is amended--

(1) in the second sentence of the matter following clause

(ii), by striking ``of this subsection, and all tips received by such employee have been retained by the employee'' and inserting ``of this subsection. Any employee shall have the right to retain any tips received by such employee''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following: ``An employer shall inform each employee of the right and exception provided under the preceding sentence.''.

(1) Tipped employees.--Section 3(m)(2)(A) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203(m)(2)(A)), as amended by subsections (a) and (b), is further amended by striking the sentence beginning with ``In determining the wage an employer is required to pay a tipped employee,'' and all that follows through ``of this subsection.'' and inserting ``The wage required to be paid to a tipped employee shall be the wage set forth in section 6(a)(1).''.

(2) Publication of notice.--Subsection (i) of section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206), as amended by section 5, is further amended by striking ``or in accordance with subclause (II) or (III) of section 3(m)(2)(A)(i)''.

(3) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraphs (1) and (2) shall take effect on the date that is one day after the date on which the hourly wage under subclause (III) of section 3(m)(2)(A)(i) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938

(29 U.S.C. 203(m)(2)(A)(i)), as amended by subsection (a), takes effect.

SEC. 4. NEWLY HIRED EMPLOYEES WHO ARE LESS THAN 20 YEARS OLD.

(a) Base Minimum Wage for Newly Hired Employees Who Are Less Than 20 Years Old.--Section 6(g)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(g)(1)) is amended by striking ``a wage which is not less than $4.25 an hour.'' and inserting the following: ``a wage at a rate that is not less than--

``(A) for the 1-year period beginning on the effective date under section 7 of the Raise the Wage Act, $5.50 an hour;

``(B) for each succeeding 1-year period until the hourly wage under this paragraph equals the wage in effect under section 6(a)(1) for such period, an hourly wage equal to the amount determined under this paragraph for the preceding year, increased by the lesser of--

``(i) $1.25; or

``(ii) the amount necessary for the wage in effect under this paragraph to equal the wage in effect under section 6(a)(1) for such period, rounded up to the nearest multiple of $0.05; and

``(C) for each succeeding 1-year period after the increase made pursuant to subparagraph (B)(ii), the minimum wage in effect under section 6(a)(1).''.

(b) Scheduled Repeal of Separate Minimum Wage for Newly Hired Employees Who Are Less Than 20 Years Old.--

(1) In general.--Section 6(g) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(g)), as amended by subsection (a), shall be repealed.

(2) Publication of notice.--Subsection (i) of section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206), as amended by section 3(c)(2), is further amended by striking

``or subparagraph (B) or (C) of subsection (g)(1),''.

(3) Effective date.--The repeal and amendment made by paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively, shall take effect on the date that is one day after the date on which the hourly wage under subparagraph (C) of section 6(g)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(g)(1)), as amended by subsection (a), takes effect.

SEC. 5. PUBLICATION OF NOTICE.

Section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206), as amended by the preceding sections, is further amended by adding at the end the following:

``(i) Not later than 60 days prior to the effective date of any increase in the required wage determined under subsection

(a)(1) or subparagraph (B) or (C) of subsection (g)(1), or in accordance with subclause (II) or (III) of section 3(m)(2)(A)(i) or section 14(c)(1)(A), the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register and on the website of the Department of Labor a notice announcing each increase in such required wage.''.

SEC. 6. PROMOTING ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR INDIVIDUALS

WITH DISABILITIES.

(a) Wages.--

(1) Transition to fair wages for individuals with disabilities.--Subparagraph (A) of section 14(c)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 214(c)(1)) is amended to read as follows:

``(A) at a rate that equals, or exceeds, for each year, the greater of--

``(i)(I) $4.25 an hour, beginning 1 year after the date the wage rate specified in section 6(a)(1)(A) takes effect;

``(II) $6.40 an hour, beginning 2 years after such date;

``(III) $8.55 an hour, beginning 3 years after such date;

``(IV) $10.70 an hour, beginning 4 years after such date;

``(V) $12.85 an hour, beginning 5 years after such date; and

``(VI) the wage rate in effect under section 6(a)(1), on the date that is 6 years after the date the wage specified in section 6(a)(1)(A) takes effect; or

``(ii) if applicable, the wage rate in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the Raise the Wage Act for the employment, under a special certificate issued under this paragraph, of the individual for whom the wage rate is being determined under this subparagraph,''.

(2) Prohibition on new special certificates; sunset.--Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 214(c)) (as amended by paragraph (1)) is further amended by adding at the end the following:

``(6) Prohibition on new special certificates.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Secretary shall not issue a special certificate under this subsection to an employer that was not issued a special certificate under this subsection before the date of enactment of the Raise the Wage Act.

``(7) Sunset.--Beginning on the day after the date on which the wage rate described in paragraph (1)(A)(i)(VI) takes effect, the authority to issue special certificates under paragraph (1) shall expire, and no special certificates issued under paragraph (1) shall have any legal effect.

``(8) Transition assistance.--Upon request, the Secretary shall provide--

``(A) technical assistance and information to employers issued a special certificate under this subsection for the purposes of--

``(i) transitioning the practices of such employers to comply with this subsection, as amended by the Raise the Wage Act; and

``(ii) ensuring continuing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities receiving a special minimum wage rate under this subsection; and

``(B) information to individuals employed at a special minimum wage rate under this subsection, which may include referrals to Federal or State entities with expertise in competitive integrated employment.''.

(3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act.

(b) Publication of Notice.--

(1) Amendment.--Subsection (i) of section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206), as amended by section 4(b)(2), is further amended by striking ``or section 14(c)(1)(A),''.

(2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the day after the date on which the wage rate described in paragraph (1)(A)(i)(VI) of section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 214(c)), as amended by subsection (a)(1), takes effect.

SEC. 7. GENERAL EFFECTIVE DATE.

Except as otherwise provided in this Act or the amendments made by this Act, this Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect--

(1) subject to paragraph (2), on the first day of the third month that begins after the date of enactment of this Act; and

(2) with respect to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, on the date that is 18 months after the effective date described in paragraph (1).

SEC. 8. GAO REPORT.

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Education and Labor Committee of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report that, with respect to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands--

(1) assesses the status and structure of the economy

(including employment, earnings and wages, and key industries); and

(2) for each year in which a wage increase will take effect under subsection (a)(1) or (g)(1) of section 6, section 3(m)(2)(A)(i), or section 14(c)(1)(A) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.), as amended by this Act, estimates the proportion of employees who will be directly affected by each such wage increase taking effect for such year, disaggregated by industry and occupation.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for 1 hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and Labor.

After 1 hour of debate, it shall be in order to consider the further amendment printed in part B of House Report 116-155, if offered by the Member designated in the report, which shall be considered read, shall be separately debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, and shall not be subject to a demand for a division of the question.

The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) each will control 30 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.

General Leave

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Virginia?

There was no objection.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the idea behind the Federal minimum wage is simple: Hardworking Americans should be paid at least enough to provide for themselves and their families.

After more than a decade with no increase in the minimum wage, the longest stretch since the minimum wage was established in 1938, it is no longer serving that purpose.

Today, the Federal minimum wage is a poverty wage in every region of our Nation. Our Nation's workers deserve better.

The Raise the Wage Act, H.R. 582, gradually increases the Federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. After 2025, this legislation indexes future increases to the minimum wage to increases in the median wage so that the value does not erode over time. It gradually phases out the subminimum wages to ensure that tipped workers, youth workers, and workers with disabilities are paid at least the full Federal minimum wage.

The benefits of this legislation are significant and widespread. Economic analysis estimates that the Raise the Wage Act would increase wages for up to 33 million workers and lift 1.3 million Americans out of poverty.

The Raise the Wage Act is not just good for workers. It is good for the economy.

While the Republican tax bill gave the largest benefits to corporations and the wealthy, this bill puts money directly into the hands of workers, who will spend that money in their communities.

Today is a historic day. For the first time in more than 12 years, the House is voting to restore the value of the Federal minimum wage and restore the value of work in America.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to support the Raise the Wage Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in complete opposition to H.R. 582, a radical, risky, and unnecessary bill that puts party politics above the best interests of American workers and their families.

Increasing the Federal minimum wage by 107 percent is a harmful and unprecedented mandate that would result in millions of job losses for vulnerable Americans, small business closures, and significant damage to the U.S. economy.

A detailed study issued this month by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, CBO, estimates a $15 minimum wage would cause up to 3.7 million lost jobs--3.7 million jobs. One job lost is too many; 3.7 million jobs lost is unconscionable.

Those hurt the most by this bill would be female workers, young workers, and those with less than a high school diploma.

In our committee earlier this year, we heard testimony from Ms. Simone Barron, a restaurant worker from Seattle, Washington, where the minimum wage has already been raised to $15 per hour. Simone said that, after the city of Seattle raised the minimum wage, her employer moved her from standard a tip line to a service charge model, which resulted in her taking home less pay.

Small businesses will also suffer if this far-left policy is implemented. Without the cash reserves or profit margins to absorb the increase in labor costs, small businesses will have a choice of several bad options. Among their choices are laying off workers, raising prices on their customers, replacing workers with robots, or going out of business.

The National Federation of Independent Business estimates that businesses with fewer than 500 employees will account for 57 percent of job losses, and businesses with fewer than 100 employees will account for 43 percent of job losses.

Still, my Democratic colleagues are trying to sell this radical wage hike by claiming it will redistribute wealth and provide poor Americans with a ``living wage.'' Yet, the CBO predicts that, by 2025, there would be a $9 billion net reduction in family income resulting from a

$15 minimum wage. This so-called raise would reduce pay for many American families.

Let's not forget, the U.S. economy is booming, and lesser-skilled workers are benefiting. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that ``wages are rising at the fastest rate in a decade for lower-skilled workers, and unemployment among less-educated Americans and minorities is near a record low.''

We know from the latest jobs report that progrowth policies like the Republican Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and eliminating unnecessary regulations are raising wages, adding jobs, and reducing unemployment.

With 7.3 million unfilled jobs nationwide, job creators know they must offer competitive wages and benefits to attract and retain workers, so it is bewildering that Democrats refuse to acknowledge or celebrate the victories of our present economy and continue to call for socialist policies. Instead, they want to pass this ill-advised legislation, which would wreak havoc on the economic progress we have achieved over the last few years.

The cost of living in New York City is much higher than the cost of living in my hometown in North Carolina. With such disparities in the cost of living across the country, mandating a one-size-fits-all wage hike will cause job losses and harm entry-level workers in many regions around the country.

Even President Obama's former chairman of economic advisers, Alan Krueger, argued in October 2015 that raising the minimum wage to $15 would ``put us in uncharted waters and risk undesirable and unintended consequences.''

H.R. 582 is deeply irresponsible. Workers, families, small businesses, and the U.S. economy will suffer as a direct result of this drastic mandate.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleague that a vote against this bill is a vote to deny about 37 percent of workers in her district of North Carolina a raise of about $3,800 a year.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici), the chair of the Education and Labor Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services.

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Scott for yielding.

The Federal minimum wage has been stagnant for too long, exacerbating income inequality and leaving working families behind.

A recent study from the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that someone working 40 hours a week who is earning the Federal minimum wage or the prevailing State minimum wage cannot afford a two-bedroom rental home at fair market rent in any State, metropolitan area, or county in the country.

Workers working full-time should be able to afford basic needs like food, housing, healthcare, and childcare.

Today, we can support working families by passing the Raise the Wage Act. This bill will gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 and make sure that tipped workers, youth, and individuals with disabilities are paid a full, not a subminimum, wage.

Recent analysis from the Economic Policy Institute found that raising the Federal minimum wage to $15 an hour would benefit close to 27,000 workers just in northwest Oregon alone.

The Raise the Wage Act is good for workers and good for the economy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Scott for his leadership, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman from North Carolina for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly rise in favor of upward mobility. I rise in favor of greater opportunity. But this bill doesn't do that. I rise in opposition to this underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, increasing the Federal minimum wage by 107 percent is an extreme and unprecedented policy that will have a severe and negative impact on many American families, our Nation's workforce, our economy, and once again, most importantly, hardworking American families.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, if enacted, this legislation would cause approximately 3.7 million workers--let's extrapolate that to families--across this Nation to lose their jobs by 2025.

{time} 0930

My home State of Pennsylvania has estimated that more than 120,000 individuals, thereby families, would be negatively impacted through the loss of their jobs. That is not upward mobility. That is downward mobility.

Mr. Speaker, the majority of Americans, 54 percent, think losing up to 3.7 million jobs for a $15 minimum wage is not a good idea. And 42 percent of families with a minimum-wage earner would see a net reduction in total family income under the $15 minimum wage. That is according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Mr. Speaker, that is totally unacceptable.

Now, I have always been a proponent of Federal policies that aim to lift individuals out of poverty and provide them with skills necessary to gain good-paying, family-sustaining jobs. We have done that in this body, and it is working.

We should be promoting bipartisan policies that are proven to enhance workforce development. For example, last Congress we passed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, restoring rungs on a ladder of opportunity.

The President has signed that bill into law, and we are working diligently with the States to ensure that they are doing everything possible to fill the 7.5 million open jobs in this country, most of them good, family-sustaining jobs.

We need to ensure that policies enhance job-training programs; so we are not talking about a minimum wage but, rather, arming individuals with skills to compete and to earn well above a minimum wage.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. I yield the gentleman from Pennsylvania an additional 20 seconds.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, 63 percent of Americans support our leadership expanding pathways to greater opportunity through CTE, the better way.

I want everyone who is willing to work in this country to succeed, but this legislation is not the answer. I encourage my colleagues to oppose the bill, and then we can talk after this debate so we can get to work on legislation to make sure job seekers have the skills to compete and succeed in the modern workforce.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleague that his vote against the bill is a vote to deny about 38 percent of the workers in his district in Pennsylvania an average wage of about $3,300 a year.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), the chair of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the National Employment Law Project in support.

July 16, 2019.

The undersigned organizations enthusiastically support the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, introduced by Senators Bernie Sanders (VT) and Patty Murray (WA), Representatives Robert C.

``Bobby'' Scott (VA), Mark Pocan (WI) and Stephanie Murphy

(FL).

If enacted, this legislation would:

Gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2025;

After 2025, adjust the minimum wage each year to keep pace with growth in the typical worker's wages;

Phase out the outdated subminimum wage for tipped workers, which has been frozen at a meager $2.13 since 1991; and,

Sunset the much criticized ability of employers to pay workers with disabilities a subminimum wage through certificates issued by DOL.

Phase out the subminimum wage for workers under the age of 20.

At a time when wage stagnation and income inequality pose serious threats to our families and our economy, the Raise the Wage Act of 2019 will begin to reverse that cycle and raise pay broadly across the bottom of the workforce. According to the Economic Policy Institute, this Act will deliver long-overdue raises to more than 1 in 4 workers, 90% of whom are over the age of 20. The average age of workers who would get a raise is 35, nearly half have some years of college education. In fact, those who work year-round would see a raise in the order of $3,000 a year, which is enough to make a tremendous difference in the life of a preschool teacher, bank teller, or fastfood worker who today struggles to get by on around $20,000 per year.

28 percent are working parents with children, and half have family incomes of less than $40,000 per year. Women make up nearly 58 percent of the workers who would benefit from a $15 minimum wage, which would be instrumental in helping to close the gender-wage-gap. Raising the minimum wage to $15 would also significantly benefit workers of color, with 38 percent of African American workers and 33 percent of Latinos seeing a pay increase once this law goes into effect.

These are the frontline workers who make America run--yet due to the erosion of the real value of the minimum wage over the last half century, they are struggling even as our economy enjoys a solid recovery.

The time for the Raise the Wage Act is long overdue, and we cannot delay in working toward its passage. We call on Congress to enact this important piece of legislation as quickly as possible, and for President Trump to sign it when it comes to his desk.

Sincerely,

RI Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW); Raise Minimum Wages; Raise the Wage PA; Raise-Op Housing Cooperative; Refuge Ministries Tampa Bay; Regina Mundi Inc.; Religious Institute; Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan (ROC-MI); Restaurant Opportunities Center of Pennsylvania; Restaurant Opportunities Centers United RESULTS Raleigh; RESULTS-Santa Fe; Rural Coalition; Rural Coaltion & Alianza Nacional de Campesinas; Rural Community Workers Alliance; Sacramento Housing Aliiance; Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness; SafeHouse Denver, Inc; San Diego Hunger Coalition; San Gabriel Valley-Whittier NOW.

Santa Fe NOW; Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law; Sconiers Homeless Preventive Organization Inc; Seattle Human Services Coalition; Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness; Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania; SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania; Service Employees International Union; Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS); Sherwood Community Services; SIA Legal Team; Sinsinawa Dominican Peace and Justice Office; Sister Reach; Sisters of Charity Federation; Sisters of Mercy in NH; Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community Justice Team; Sisters of Saint Mary of Namur; Sisters of St Joseph of Chambery Justice and Peace Committee; Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt, New York; Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa Leadership Team.

Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate; Sisters of the Most Precious Blood of O'Fallon, MO; Social Action Linking Together (SALT); SocioEnergetics Foundation; outh Carolina Christian Action Council, Inc.; South Dakota Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers; Southern HIV/AIDS Strategy Initiative (SASl)/Duke University School of Law; Southern Mutual Help Association, Inc.; Southern Poverty Law Center; Southfield Community Church; Southwest PA National Organization For Women; Southwest Women's Law Center; Sravasti Abbey; St. James Infirmary; St. Louis CLUW Chapter; St. Louis Gateway District Area Local--APWU 8; St. Louis Gateway District Area Local APWU--POWER Sisters; TASH; Tax Fairness Oregon; Tax March.

Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC); Tennessee Citizen Action; Tennessee Justice Center; Texas Employment Lawyers Association; THE ABCD, INC; The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis; The Farmworker Association of Florida; The Greater Boston Food Bank; The HUB for Progress; The Praxis Project; The Public Interest Law Project; The Washington Initiative for Supported Employment; The Welcome Church; TMS Enterprises; Toledo Area Jobs with Justice & Interfaith worker Justice Coalition; Transition Services, Inc.; Transport Workers Union of America; Treatment Action Group (TAG); Trillium Employment Services; Tzedek DC.

UCSF; UETHDA Head Start; Ultra Violet; UnidosUS; Union for Reform Judaism; Union of Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary, USA UNIT; United Food and Commercial Workers International Union; United Food and Commercial Workers Local 227; United Food and Commercial Workers Local 75; United for a Fair Economy; United For Respect; United Steelworkers (USW); University Church; University of New Mexico Community and Regional Planning Department; Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency; URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity; Vennmedia: A Nonprofit Media Enterprise; Virginia Employment Lawyers Association; Voices for Progress; Vote-Climate.

Wage Equality; Washington Anti-Hunger & Nutrition Coalition; Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs; Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless; Washington State Budget & Policy Center; Washington State Community Action Partnership; Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment; We The People--Pennsylvania; Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club; West Valley Neighborhoods Coalition; West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy; Western Center on Law and Poverty; Western NY Chapter Coalition of Labor Union Women; Western Pennsylvania Employment Lawyers Association (WPELA); WHEAT--World Hunger Education, Advocacy

& Training; Whitman-Walker Health; Windham Area Interfaith Ministry.

Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice; Women Employed; Women's Fund of Rhode Island; Women's Law Project; Worcester County Food Bank; Worker Justice Center of New York; Working Families Party; Working Partnerships USA; Workplace Fairness; Young Progressives Demanding Action; Youth Care; YWCA of the University of Illinois; YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish; YWCA USA; YWCA Utah.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act.

There is currently no place in America where a worker making $7.25 per hour can afford a two-bedroom apartment. Millions of families are struggling to make ends meet. As one of the richest countries in the world, we should be ashamed.

This bill will give 27 million workers a raise and lift 1.3 million people out of poverty. Helping low-income workers is long overdue.

Contrary to what my Republican colleagues have been saying, raising the minimum wage is popular among American workers. That is why voters in States like California, Arkansas, Arizona, and Missouri have voted to increase their State minimum wages.

Congress has the opportunity to restore the value of work, lift families out of poverty, and ensure a fair wage for workers everywhere in America.

I urge all my colleagues to vote in support of workers and families by supporting the Raise the Wage Act.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Rice).

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, the Democrats' assault on rural America continues.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if this minimum wage law were enacted, up to 3.7 million jobs in America would vanish. And what areas would lose the most? Obviously, the areas with the most minimum wage jobs, rural areas.

You see, these areas have a much lower cost of living. You can rent an apartment for $500 per month, instead of $3,000 per month in San Francisco, where Nancy Pelosi is from. Food costs are lower, taxes are lower, utilities are lower, and an American family can have a comfortable living on half what it takes in San Francisco, Seattle, or New York.

One size does not fit all. A $15 minimum wage would cost these poor rural counties thousands of jobs. Even blue State Oregon recognized this fact when it adopted a tiered minimum wage with one rate for urban areas, another for suburban, and another for rural.

I represent three poor South Carolina counties, Marion, Dillon, and Marlboro. These are majority African American and suffered stagnation over a lost decade following the financial crisis and the stifling government overreach of the Obama administration.

After tax reform and regulatory reform, these poor counties are finally recovering. Two years ago, when Donald Trump took office, the unemployment rate in Marion County was 9.6 percent. Today it is 4.6 percent. What a turnaround.

And yet, even in the face of this, Democrats haven't learned their lesson and want to return to the days of big government, big regulation overreach that will hurt these poor rural counties the worst.

Everyone is concerned about income inequality. Here is a suggestion, to stop complaining and actually do something about it. Let's work together to fix our broken immigration system.

Hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens cross our southern border every year. This limitless supply of cheap labor steals from our children and holds down wages for the hardworking, law-abiding Americans. The most affected are the most vulnerable at the bottom of the income ladder, and particularly those in rural areas.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. I yield the gentleman from South Carolina an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Harvard professor George Borjas estimates that competition from low-skilled immigrants has reduced the American lower middle-class wages by $800 to $1,500 yearly.

Stop the endless flow of illegal labor and watch wages rise. For once, let's put the American worker first. For once, let's put America first.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleague that his vote against this bill is a vote to deny about 41 percent of the workers in his district in South Carolina a raise of about $3,800 a year.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wilson), the chair of the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pension Subcommittee.

Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter in support of H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, from the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce.

U.S. Women's Chamber

of Commerce,

Washington, DC, July 15, 2019.

Letter in Support of H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act of 2019

My name is Margot Dorfman and I am the CEO of the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce. I represent women business owners across America, who support raising the minimum wage.

Introduction

The U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce was founded to support the continued economic advancement of women in America. The Women's Chamber has more than 500,000 members--most of them small business owners. We have members in every state.

The business owners with whom I talk every day believe that, far from hurting their businesses, raising the minimum wage in fact helps small businesses, women workers and the broader economy. Raising the minimum wage reinforces their business strategies, while an inadequate minimum wage undermines them.

It is vitally important to understand that the number one problem I hear from my members is that consumer demand is still weak. Raising the minimum wage helps directly with that by putting more money in the pockets of customers who will spend it at our local businesses.

The migration of women from the workforce into business ownership has been one of the great economic achievements of the American dream. As women moved from employees to business owners, we have brought a new perspective to America's business leadership. Women now own about 40 percent of all privately held firms in the United States and are exercising the decision-making authority that comes with that role to effect positive changes in the workplace.

My member business owners realize that most of the people working for low pay across the country--the waitresses, the health aides and the cashiers--are women. Many of my members were once employees themselves. They know that raising the minimum wage helps working women and families in their struggle to make ends meet. Our members know that a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is much too low.

As a matter of fact, large national chains that pay low wages may actually be competing unfairly with women-owned small businesses that work hard to assure that their employees receive fair pay. In short, keeping the minimum wage low keeps women and families down.

For these reasons and more, the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce supports raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2024 and then indexing it to median hourly wages so that it doesn't erode again. And we also support gradually raising the minimum wage for tipped workers until it equals the regular minimum wage as called for in the Raise the Wage Act.

Small Businesses Show That Paying Higher Wages Is Economically

Realistic

There are two roads to profitability: the high road and the low road. Businesses can invest in their workforces with decent wages and benefits, and enjoy the benefits of a dedicated workforce with lower turnover, higher productivity and better customer service. Or businesses can pay poverty wages and churn through employees. These businesses may save on immediate payroll, but they experience the significant expense of higher turnover, constant recruitment and training, higher absenteeism, and a less experienced, less productive workforce.

Only one road to profitability delivers us a strong floor under our economy, a growing middle class, upward mobility and the promise of the American Dream. The business owners supported by the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce have chosen the high road strategy for building their businesses: they pay better wages and their businesses benefit as a result. They report to me that this approach attracts more stable, dependable, productive employees. That's not surprising since better wages enable workers to concentrate on their job without continually worrying about how they will put gas in their cars, pay for day care or keep up with their rent.

At small businesses, the owners and employees work side by side on a daily basis, working together to offer the best goods and services to their customers. My members know they cannot generally compete with the big box stores or the chain restaurants on price. Instead, their competitive advantage is higher quality service and a real connection to the community and its residents.

The reality is that my members and other Main Street businesses have a lot in common with low-wage workers: both are being squeezed by big corporations. The low wages that big retailers and restaurant chains pay are one of many factors that contributes to their price advantage over small and local businesses. Indeed, low-paying big chains count on responsible employers and taxpayers to subsidize them by providing food stamps and public health assistance to their workers who can't make ends meet on poverty wages.

Raising the minimum wage to a more realistic level helps level the playing field for businesses like my members who believe in treating their workers fairly and investing in the communities they are rooted in.

Weak Consumer Spending Is Hurting Small Businesses and Raising the

Minimum Wage Can Give It a Boost

My members see the stagnant wages and economic anxiety that most American families are facing as one of the major factors weakening the economy a decade after the Great Recession. And economists recognize that until we restore real wage growth for working and middle-class Americans, consumer spending will not be where we need it to be to help businesses thrive and grow into the future.

Too many people forget that workers are also consumers. Consumer spending drives 70 percent of our economy, and we must repower broad-based consumer spending--backed by adequate wages rather than unaffordable debt--if we are going to repower our economy, create good jobs and reverse the decline in our middle class. Raising the minimum wage boosts the economy from the bottom up, which is exactly what we need.

That's why local businesses support raising the minimum wage--because that additional money in the pockets of the lowest paid workers will be spent immediately in the local economy. These workers are not taking fancy trips abroad or speculating on Wall Street. They are spending pay increases at the grocery store, the pharmacy and the auto-repair in their communities.

Raising the Minimum Wage Helps Working Women

Finally, as a representative of women-owned businesses, I want to emphasize that working women represent the greatest percentage of workers to benefit from increasing the minimum wage. The typical low-wage worker is an adult woman. Think of your waitress at Applebee's, or the cashier who rings you up at the supermarket. Think of the childcare center worker who takes care of your son or daughter, or the health aide who helps your mother or grandfather.

Many of the women business owners who belong to the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce left the workforce to start their own businesses because they felt that the jobs where women worked were not being fairly paid. In building their own companies and becoming employers, they have created working environments where they try to do better by paying and playing fairly. That's why women-owned businesses tend to pay above minimum wage. Women business owners understand and value security for families.

In sum, a $15 minimum wage by 2024 would offer all of the benefits that I have outlined: it will help small businesses like my members by putting more money in the pockets of workers, which will boost spending and job creation on Main Street; it will help level the playing field for small businesses and big businesses; and it will bring fairer pay to American women, who hold the majority of the low-wage jobs that will see a raise.

While some try to portray a minimum wage increase as a fight between business and workers, raising the minimum wage is in reality good for both.

It is for these reasons that the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce supports the Raise the Wage Act of 2019.

Thank you.

Margot Dorfman,

Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Women's Chamber of

CommerceTM.

Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is amoral that millions of people in this country are forced to work so hard for so little in return.

Believe me, Congress knows, because there is a serious bipartisan movement afoot to provide Members of Congress with a cost-of-living raise. Congress realizes that they do not earn enough and, hopefully, they realize that people earning $7.50 an hour are definitely not earning enough.

So today, I call on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, to let the American people know that we are attempting to raise the minimum wage. Herald it from the loudest bully pulpit you have. Listen to the facts given today by Chairman Scott and my colleagues and share them.

News outlets all over America, you have a responsibility to let the American people know that we hear them, we support them, and we understand. We are doing our very, very best to help them. We are fighting for them.

Raise the wage, colleagues. Raise the wage today.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. David P. Roe).

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage my colleagues to vote against H.R. 582, the so-called Raise the Wage Act, which is nothing more than another baseless, irrational attack on President Trump's successful economic record.

Just this week, House Democrats voted to condemn the President, hold his advisers in contempt, and many House Democrats voted to impeach the President. Today, they are working to undo the economic gains seen under the Trump administration's leadership and undermine the best economy in my lifetime.

This legislation will arbitrarily double the Federal minimum wage to

$15 an hour, despite plenty of evidence that employers are fairly compensating employees. This bill will hurt the very low-income people House Democrats claim they want to help by reducing employment opportunity and hours.

In fact, the CBO estimated that this legislation will cost the American economy up to 3.7 million jobs and reduce real wages by $9.5 billion.

I offered a bipartisan amendment to prevent this bill from taking effect unless the GAO could show this legislation would eliminate fewer than 200,000 jobs in rural America, where I live, but House Democrats wouldn't even allow a debate.

Just in Tennessee, this bill is predicted to eliminate more than 66,000 jobs, roughly the size of my hometown, which is the largest city in my district.

In 2016, Seattle's minimum wage increased to $13 an hour, $2 shy of what the House Democrats are proposing today, and it has already reduced hours for low-income jobs. If legislation like this is hurting large areas like Seattle, it will have even a worse impact on rural America.

I think my colleague across the aisle said the States had raised this. I think that is a perfect thing, the States ought to. They know their local economies better than we do here in Washington.

I urge my Democratic colleagues to work with Republicans to implement policies to give every American the tools to seek higher-paying jobs and, once again, encourage my colleagues to vote against H.R. 582.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleague that his vote against this bill is a vote to deny about 41 percent of the workers in his district in Tennessee an average raise of about $3,700 a year.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina

(Ms. Adams), the chair of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in strong support of H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act.

I have been fighting for working families for 3 decades now, from the State House in North Carolina, to here in the U.S. House. I led the successful effort in my State to raise the State's minimum wage in 2006 from $5.15 to $6.15 an hour. Then, in 2009, the Federal Government raised the wage to $7.25. That was 12 years ago, and the minimum wage hasn't increased since. Only the cost of living has increased.

Folks working full-time earning the minimum wage aren't making enough to feed their families, and that is not acceptable. No one working full-time should live in poverty. Working hard is not enough if you don't make enough.

That is why I am a proud supporter of H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act. The Raise the Wage Act would increase wages for over 150,000 people in my district in North Carolina. It is not just good for workers; it is good for the economy.

Unlike the GOP tax cut, which benefited corporations and the wealthy, this bill will put money in the pockets of hardworking Americans, who will spend it in the local economy.

My friends on the other side of the aisle will use outdated, misleading data to say that it will kill jobs. But the most comprehensive and recent research shows no job loss in cities that have already raised the wage to $15.

The American people are with us on this. A vast majority support raising the minimum wage.

You already know folks can't survive on $7.25. We don't have to do that in Congress. My folks on the other side of the aisle, you are making six figures. Can you survive on $7.25?

I urge my colleagues, do what is right because it is right. America needs a raise. Join me in voting for this bill. Give the American people a long overdue raise.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from 100 economists in support of the $15 minimum wage.

Today, workers who earn the federal minimum wage make $7.25 an hour--about 29 percent less per hour than their counterparts made 50 years ago (after adjusting for inflation) We can afford to pay the lowest-paid workers in America substantially more than what their counterparts were paid a half century ago Workers produce more today from each hour of work with productivity nearly doubling since the late 1960s.

We, the undersigned, support gradually increasing the minimum wage to $15 by 2024, and then indexing it to median wages to protect against future erosion. We also support gradually phasing out the outdated subminimum wage for tipped workers, which has been frozen at $2.13 since 1991.

This policy would directly lift the wages of 28.1 million workers by 2024. Another 11.6 million workers whose wages are just above the new minimum would likely see a wage increase through ``spillover'' effects, as employers adjust their internal wage scales. The vast majority of employees who would benefit are adults--disproportionately women--in working families, who work at least 20 hours a week and depend on their earnings to make ends meet.

A $15 minimum wage by 2024 would result in $121 billion in higher wages for 39.7 million low-wage workers, which would also benefit their families and their communities. Since lower-paid workers spend a large share of their additional earnings, this injection of wages would modestly stimulate consumer demand, business activity, and job growth. Further, modest and infrequent minimum wage increases are directly responsible for growing inequality between the bottom and the middle class; this minimum wage increase would provide a significant and much needed boost to the earnings of low-wage workers. And, because it would be indexed to growth in median wages, it would ensure that the wage floor keeps up with growth of middle-wage workers going forward.

The last decade has seen a wealth of rigorous academic research on the effect of minimum wage increases on employment, with the weight of evidence showing that previous modest increases in the minimum wage had little or no negative effects on the employment of low-wage workers. It is time to support a bolder increase to address the fact that wages for workers at the low end of the labor market have continued to stagnate. Even if the growth of aggregate work hours for low-wage workers were to slow somewhat, workers who work less could still break even, or come out ahead, in terms of annual earnings. Since as many as 10 percent of the lowest-wage workers leave or start jobs every month, any decrease in the number of full-time equivalent jobs will mean that some workers will take more time finding a new job, or will work fewer hours. But many of these workers may still see their annual earnings rise because of their wage increase.

The benefits of gradually phasing in a $15 minimum wage by 2024 would be far-reaching, lifting pay for tens of millions of workers and helping reverse decades of growing pay inequality. The benefits of a $15 minimum wage in 2024 for workers, their families, and their communities far outweigh the potential costs. Of course, the minimum wage is just one of many policies designed to help low-wage workers. We believe that an increase in the minimum wage should be accompanied by complementary policies such as an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), enhanced safety net, increased job training, and policies to generate full employment.

Sincerely,

Daron Acemoglu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D.; Jacqueline Agesa, Marshall University, Ph.D.; Alan Aja, Brooklyn College, CUNY, Ph.D.; Randy Albelda, University of Massachusetts Boston, Ph.D.; Sylvia A. Allegretto, University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D.; Bernard E. Anderson, University of Pennsylvania, Ph.D.; Robert M. Anderson, University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D.; Eileen Appelbaum, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Ph.D.; Michael Ash, University of Massachusetts Amherst Ph.D.; Algernon Austin, Demos, Ph.D.

Kate Bahn, Washington Center for Equitable Growth, Ph.D.; Dean Baker, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Ph.D.; Erdogan Bakir, Bucknell University, Ph.D.; Stephen Baldwin, Retired, Ph.D.; Nina Banks, Bucknell University, Ph.D.; James Baron, Yale School of Management, Ph.D.; Lourdes Beneria, Cornell University, Ph.D.; Jared Bernstein, Ph.D.; Josh Bivens, Economic Policy Institute, Ph.D.; Sandra Black, University of Texas at Austin, Ph.D.

Gail Blattenberger, University of Utah, Ph.D.; Robert Blecker, American University, Ph.D.; Barry Bluestone, Northeastern University, Ph.D.; Barry Bosworth, Brookings Institution, Ph.D.; Heather Boushey, Washington Center for Equitable Growth, Ph.D.; Clair Brown, University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D. Lawrence Chimerine, Radnor Consulting, Ph.D.; Robert Coen, Northwestern University, Ph.D.; Jennifer Cohen, Miami University, Ph.D.; David Cutler Harvard University, Ph.D.

Sheldon Danziger, Univensty of Michigan, Ph.D.; Angus Deaton, Princeton University, Ph.D.; Gregory DeFreitas, Hofstra University, Ph.D.; James Devine, Loyola Marymount University, Ph.D.; Geert Dhondt, John Jay College, CUNY Ph.D.; Peter Diamond, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D.; Adrienne Eaton, Rutgers University Ph.D.; Peter Eaton, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Ph.D.; John Edgren, Eastern Michigan University, Ph.D.; Gerald Epstein, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ph.D.

Allan Freyer, NC Justice Center, Ph.D.; Teresa Ghilarducci The New School, Ph.D.; Jeeten Gin, Union College, Ph.D.; Martin Hart-Landsberg, Lewis and Clark College Ph.D.; Jeff Hayes, Institute for Women's Policy Research, Ph.D.; Adam Hersh Former Chief Economist of the Joint Economic Committee, Ph.D.; Stephen Herzenberg, Keystone Research Center, Ph.D.; Emily Hoffman, Western Michigan University, Ph.D.; David Howell, The New School, Ph.D.

Candace Howes, Connecticut College, Ph.D.; Jennifer Hunt, Rutgers University, Ph.D.; Jeffrey Keefe, Rutgers University, Ph.D.; Mary C. King Portland State University, Ph.D.; Janet Knoedler, Bucknell University, Ph.D.; Ebru Kongar, Dickinson College, Ph.D.; Brent Kramer, City University of New York, Ph.D.; Haydar Kurban, Howard University, Ph.D.; Paul Leigh, University of California, Davis, Ph.D.; Henry Levin, Columbia University, Ph.D.

Oren Levin-Waldman, Metropolitan College of New York, Ph.D.; Mark Levinson, SEIU, Ph.D.; Frank Levy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D.; David B. Lipsky, Cornell University, Ph.D.; Pamela Loprest, Urban Institute, Ph.D.; Stephanie Luce, School of Labor and Urban Studies/CUNY, Ph.D.; Lisa Lynch, Brandeis University Ph.D.; Stanley Malinowitz, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Ph.D.; Julianne Malveaux, Economic Education, Ph.D.; Patrick Mason, Florida State University, Ph.D.

Jordan Matsudaira, Columbia University, Ph.D.; Peter Matthews, Middlebury College, Ph.D.; Anne Mayhew, University of Tennessee, Ph.D.; Elaine McCrate, University of Vermont, Ph.D.; John Miller Wheaton College, Ph.D.; Lawrence Mishel, Economic Policy Institute, Ph.D.; Monique Morrissey, Economic Policy Institute, Ph.D.; Philip Moss, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Ph.D.; Eshragh Motahar Union College, Ph.D.; Tracy Mott, University of Denver, Ph.D.

Richard Murnane, Harvard University, Ph.D.; Robert Murphy, Boston College, Ph.D.; Paulette Olson, Wright State University, Ph.D.; Rudolph Oswald, Retired, Ph.D.; Spencer Pack, Connecticut College, Ph.D.; Prasannan Parthasarathi, Boston College, Ph.D.; Manuel Pastor University of Southern California, Ph.D.; Mark Paul, New College of Florida, Ph.D.; Eva Paus, Mount Holyoke College Ph.D.; Kenneth Peres, Retired Communications Workers of America, Ph.D.

Joseph Persky, University of Illinois at Chicago Ph.D.; Michael Piore, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D.; Robert Pollen, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Ph.D.; Mark Price, Keystone Research Center, Ph.D.; Michael Reich, University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D.; Rene Rosenbaum, Michigan State University, Ph.D.; Jesse Rothstein, University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D.; Daniel Rubinfeld University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D.; Emmanuel Saez, University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D.; Isabel Sawhill, Brookings Institution, Ph.D.

Peter Schaeffer, West Virginia University, Ph.D.; William Schaniel, University of West Georgia, Ph.D.; Stephen J. Schmidt, Union College, Ph.D.; John Schmitt, Economic Policy Institute, Ph.D.; Geoffrey Schneider, Bucknell University, Ph.D.; Juliet Schor, Boston College, Ph.D.; Robert E Scott Economic Policy Institute Ph.D.; Heidi Shierholz, Economic Policy Institute, Ph.D.; Rachel Silbermann, Connecticut Voices for Children, Ph.D.; Andna Smythe, Howard University, Ph.D.

Younghwan Song, Union College Ph.D.; Sarah Spell, Ph.D.; Case Sprenkle, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Ph.D.; William E. Spriggs, Howard University and AFL-CIO, Ph.D.; Marshall Steinbaum, Roosevelt Institute, Ph.D.; James Stewart, The Pennsylvania State University, Ph.D.; Frank Stricker, CSU Dominguez Hills, Ph.D.; Kenneth P. Thomas, University of Missouri-St Louis, Ph.D.; Chris Tilly, Univeisity of California Los Angeles, Ph.D.

Laura Tyson, University of California Berkeley, Ph.D.; Johan Uribe, Denison University, Ph.D.; Paula Voos, Rutgers University, Ph.D.; Richard Walker University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D.; Robert Wassmer, California State University, Sacramento, Ph.D.; David Weil, Brandeis University, Ph.D.; Joann Weiner, The George Washington University Ph.D.; Jeannette Wicks-Lim, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Ph.D.; Charles Wilber, University of Notre Dame, Ph.D.; Sarah Wilhelm, Ph.D.; Robert B. Williams, Guilford College, Ph.D.; Valerie Wilson, Economic Policy Institute, Ph.D.; Yavuz Yasar, University of Denver, Ph.D.; Alexandria Zhang, Ph.D.; Ben Zipperer, Economic Policy Institute, Ph.D.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I do agree with one thing one of our colleagues across the aisle said a few minutes ago. We do need to let the American people know what this House is about to do; kill millions of jobs.

The CBO's estimate was that 1.3 million jobs would be lost, minimum. Of those jobs lost, 60 percent would be female workers, 46 percent would be young workers, and 38 percent would have less than a high school diploma. These are the people that our colleagues claim they care about.

However, what they want to do here today is harm those very people. So I think it is important that we let the American people understand what this legislation does.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Michigan

(Mr. Walberg).

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 582, better known as the Raising Unemployment for American Workers Act.

The bill's desired outcome may be well-intentioned, and you will hear hypothetical numbers from my good friend and chairman of the committee, assuming jobs are kept, which they won't be.

{time} 0945

In reality, it causes harm to the very people it is supposed to help. Just ask the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

According to a CBO analysis of this legislation, it could eliminate up to 3.7 million jobs with a minimum wage increase, but the loss of 3.7 million jobs, and reduce family income by $9 billion.

Low-income workers without a high school degree would be hit the hardest.

We have seen the real-world consequences of a $15 minimum wage in cities like Seattle. It resulted in small businesses cutting jobs and workers receiving fewer hours and overall take-home pay.

Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, there is a better way to boost income for hardworking families. Let's focus on policies that keep our economy thriving and create more opportunities for all Americans to find good-paying, living-wage jobs that allow advancements as well, not just minimum wage.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleague that his vote against this bill is a vote to deny about 32 percent of the workers in his district in Michigan an average raise of about $2,300 a year. And in the CBO report that he cited, three of the most recent studies cited in that report show an actual increase in jobs, not a decrease.

I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Jayapal), the co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, a gentlewoman who can talk specifically about Seattle.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, this is a big day. Today we pass the first minimum wage increase for workers in decades.

And, yes, I am proud to represent Seattle, a leader in the Fight for

$15, where I served on the committee that actually drafted the legislation that passed, ultimately.

It has been 4 years since Seattle raised the wage, and I want to tell my colleagues across the aisle what the effect of that increase has been.

Seattle is flourishing. Today we have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, and jobs are growing steadily.

Last year, Forbes ranked Seattle the number one best place for business and careers in 2018, and despite the doom and gloom predictions from the National Restaurant Association when we passed the bill, what we have seen is what The Seattle Times called ``a crazy restaurant boom''--that is a quote--with new jobs created every year.

The most recent and credible research shows that wages for Seattle's low-wage workers went up without any negative impact on employment, and local food prices remained constant so that families could better afford to buy healthy food.

When we increased the minimum wage in Seattle, Mr. Speaker, we got strong businesses, healthy families, and flourishing communities. All American workers deserve the same thing. Let's raise the wage today.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a second letter from the National Employment Law Project in support of this legislation.

July 16, 2019.

The undersigned organizations enthusiastically support the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, introduced by Senators Bernie Sanders (VT) and Patty Murray (WA), Representatives Robert C.

``Bobby'' Scott (VA), Mark Paean (WI) and Stephanie Murphy

(FL).

If enacted, this legislation would:

Gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2025;

After 2025, adjust the minimum wage each year to keep pace with growth in the typical worker's wages;

Phase out the outdated subminimum wage for tipped workers, which has been frozen at a meager $2.13 since 1991; and,

Sunset the much criticized ability of employers to pay workers with disabilities a subminimum wage through certificates issued by DOL.

Phase out the subminimum wage for workers under the age of 20.

At a time when wage stagnation and income inequality pose serious threats to our families and our economy, the Raise the Wage Act of 2019 will begin to reverse that cycle and raise pay broadly across the bottom of the workforce. According to the Economic Policy Institute, this Act will deliver long-overdue raises to more than 1 in 4 workers, 90% of whom are over the age of 20. The average age of workers who would get a raise is 35, nearly half have some years of college education. In fact, those who work year-round would see a raise in the order of $3,000 a year, which is enough to make a tremendous difference in the life of a preschool teacher, bank teller, or fast-food worker who today struggles to get by on around $20,000 per year.

These are the frontline workers who make America run-yet due to the erosion of the real value of the minimum wage over the last half century, they are struggling even as our economy enjoys a solid recovery.

Sincerely,

Jackson State University; Jewish Women International; Jobs with Justice; Just Harvest: A Center for Action Against Hunger; Justice and Advocacy Committee of the Lehigh Conference of Churches; Justice for Migrant Women; Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes; Kansas Association of Community Action Programs; Kentucky Equal Justice Center; Kentucky State AFL-CIO; Keystone Progress; Keystone Research Center; Kings Local Food Pantry; Korean Resource Center; KWH Law Center for Social Justice and Change.

La Frontera Ministries; La Plata County Thrive! Living Wage Coalition; Labor Education Program, School of Labor and Employment Relations, University of Illinois; Lamoille Family Center; Law Foundation of Silicon Valley; Law Students in Court; Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Leadership Conference of Women Religious; The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Leadership Team, Sisters of the Presentations; Legal Aid at Work; Legal Aid Service of Broward County; Legal Momentum: The Women's Legal Defense and Education Fund; Legal Voice; Let Justice Roll: Living Wage Campaign.

Lincoln Hills Development Corporation; LiveWell Colorado; Long Beach Gray Panthers; Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy; Louisiana Budget Project; Louisiana Progress Action; Main Street Alliance; Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence; Maine Women's Lobby; Mainers for Accountable Leadership; Make the Road PA; Maryland Center on Economic Policy; Maryland Hunger Solutions; Maryland National Organization for Women; Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.

Maternal and Child Health Access; MCCC/MTA; Men of All Colors Together (MACT)/Phila.; Mercyhaven Inc.; Methodist Federation for Social Action; Metro-Detroit Chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW); Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, D.C.; Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association; Michigan League for Public Policy; Michigan's Children; Middlesex Coalition for Children; Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers Organization; Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless; Mississippi Families for Kids; Mississippi Low Income Child Care Initiative.

Missouri CLUW Chapter; MomsRising; Mountain State Justice; MWC, AFL-CIO; NAACP;

NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina; Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter; National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd; National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum

(NAPAWF); National Association of Social Workers; National Association of Social Workers--NJ Chapter; National Association of Social Workers Connecticut Chapter; National Association of Social Workers, West Virginia Chapter; National Association of the Deaf; National Black Justice Coalition.

National Black Sisters' Conference; National Center for Lesbian Rights; National Center for Transgender Equality; National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence; National Coalition for the Homeless; National Consumers League; National Council of Churches; National Council of Jewish Women; National Council of Jewish Women--PA; National Council of Jewish Women--Texas; National Council of Jewish Women--Florida; National Disability Rights Network; National Domestic Workers Alliance; National Education Association; National Employment Law Project.

National Employment Lawyers Association; National Employment Lawyers Association--Eastern Pennsylvania National Employment Lawyers Association--Georgia Affiliate National Employment Lawyers Association--New York; National Equality Action Team (NEAT); National Health Care for the Homeless Council; National Human Services Assembly; National Immigration Law Center; National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC} National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund; National Low Income Housing Coalition; National Partnership for Women & Families; National Resource Center on Domestic Violence; National Rural Social Work Caucus; National Urban League.

National Women's Law Center; National Working Positive Coalition; National Workrights Institute; NC Justice Center; NC State AFL-CIO; Nebraska Appleseed; Nebraska Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers Neighbors Helping Neighbors Teton County MT; NELA Hawaii Chapter; NELA--Kansas City Affiliate; NELA--Saint Louis; NELA--Alabama; Nenana Tortella Council on Aging, INC; Network for Environmental & Economic Responsibility; NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice.

New Jersey Policy Perspective; New Jersey State Coalition of Labor Union Women; New Jersey Tenants Organization; New Mexico Association of Community Partners (NMACP); New Mexico Black Caucus; New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty; New Orleans Associates of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament; New Voices for Reproductive Justice; New York Paid Leave Coalition; North American Climate, Conservation and Environment(NACCE); North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans; North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence; North Carolina Council of Churches; North Dakota Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers; North Dakota Economic Security and Prosperity Alliance.

Northwest Indiana Community Action; Northwest Pilot Project; Oakland Park Democratic Club; Oakland Symphony; Oasis Legal Services; Ohaha Family Foundation; Ohio Coalition of Labor Union Women; Ohio Domestic Violence Network; Oklahoma Policy Institute; Oklahoma Women's Coalition; One Pennsylvania; One Stop Career Center of PR Inc; Orange County Poverty Alleviation Coalition; Organize Florida; OURNOVA.

Oxfam America; Pathways PA; Patriotic Millionaires; Pax Christi Florida; Pax Christi Illinois; Pax Christi USA; Peace, Justice, Sustainability Florida; Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center; Pennsylvania Council of Churches; Pennsylvania Together; People Demanding Action; People's Institute for Housing Justice; Philadelphia Coalition of Labor Union Women; Philly Neighborhood Networks; Piedmont Housing Alliance.

Planet Earth; Policy Matters Ohio; Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign; Positive Women's Network-USA; PowHer New York; Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); Pride at Work; Princeton Community Housing; Professional Child Care Provider Network of Prince George's Co., Inc; Project Bread-The Walk for Hunger; Promise The Children; Provincial Council Clerics of St. Viator (Viatorians); Public Advocacy for Kids; Public Citizen; Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY); Public Justice Center.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, as our colleagues have noted, States and localities may enact higher minimum wages than the Federal minimum wage, and there are examples of that. But let's leave freedom in the hands of the people, in the hands of the States. That is what this country is all about.

In socialist regimes, all decisions are made by a small group of people at a central government. That is not the American way.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania

(Mr. Kelly).

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I think dates matter and I think votes matter, and I think that sometimes because of where we are, this is kind of this Potomac amnesia.

We say we want to raise people's wages, we want to create jobs, we want to be able to do things that lift every single boat because that is what a rising tide does. It is not a Democrat tide; it is not a Republican tide; it is a rising tide for the American people.

I would just want to remind my colleagues, in December of 2017, not one of you was on board with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. You could not vote for it in the House; you could not vote for it in the Senate.

And we come here today and we talk about minimum wage and raising minimum wages, and I would just suggest to you that America is not about minimals. Nobody comes to America because I may get a minimum wage increase. They come to America because of maximum opportunity.

Why would we dwell on a minimum wage when you had the chance in December of 2017 to lift all boats?

Why would we turn our back on an opportunity to completely change the economy of the United States?

Why would we turn our back on workers who had not been employed for many years, and we sit today with millions of open jobs and we don't have enough workers to fill them?

And what are we talking about today? We are trying to right a wrong. We are trying to fix, somehow, a wrongheaded decision to vote against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

And a lot of it had to do with not because we were Republicans, but because we have somebody in the White House that we just don't like; and, my God, if we do something that lifts the hopes of all Americans and the wishes of all Americans and Donald Trump gets credit for it, that just won't work in 2020.

I would ask my friends on the other side, if you really want to see America soar, stop putting roadblocks in the way. Stop standing in the way of hardworking American taxpayers who couldn't care less what your political affiliation is but watch the legislation that you pass and, more importantly, the legislation that you passed on.

I would just remind you--and I know you are going to tell me the average wages in Pennsylvania--those wages are only available if you get hired.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to address their remarks to the Chair.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman has suggested, his vote against the bill is a vote to deny about 43 percent of the workers in his district in Pennsylvania an average raise of $3,900 a year, while the tax bill that he supported, 80 percent of the benefits of that bill went to the top 1 percent and corporations.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the House majority leader.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I like the gentleman from Pennsylvania. He and I are friends. We disagree.

I proudly voted against the tax bill which, I think, spiked the deficit, and we had a continuation of the extraordinary growth of jobs and the economy under the Obama administration, and that has continued in a straight line. It didn't spike up--straight line.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Raise the Wage Act. This is direct--not indirect, not trickle down, direct--saying to some of the people who worked hardest and make the least: We are going to help. We think what you do is valuable to our community and to our society.

We need to make certain that wages keep pace with the cost of living. We haven't done that. For 10 years, we haven't given a raise.

We need to value the labor that our people contribute into the economy. That is why we have a Federal minimum wage, to ensure that everyone who works hard, full time, ought to be able to afford, not simply to get by, but to try to get ahead.

I have heard from many in my district who have told me that increasing the minimum wage will have a major impact on their incomes and their lives.

Dana Hudson from Owings in Calvert County, Maryland, makes the minimum wage of $10.10 an hour and supplements his income with farming on his land. He is 60 years old and looking ahead to retirement, knowing that a higher minimum wage in his final years of working will go a long way towards giving him and his wife retirement security.

Delano Alexander of Clinton, Maryland, is an environmental services aide at Prince George's Hospital Center. He earns $12.85 an hour, presently, and if we pass this bill, he will get an income boost through the years to help him and his family get ahead.

Victor Reyes of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, started his career as a nonunion day laborer barely making a living. Now he has a union construction job, and he is earning better pay. He wrote to ask me to support a higher minimum wage so that others who are working with him and haven't found better jobs can get the same economic security he now has.

We referred to 27 million, 33 million--whatever that number is between 27 and 33--are going to get a raise by this bill. That didn't happen in the tax bill. Some of the richest people in America got a huge increase, but not the average working guy and gal.

In June, we marked 10 years since the last minimum wage increase went into effect, the longest period without an increase since the minimum wage was first introduced under Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal.

I was proud to bring legislation to the floor in 2007 to raise the minimum wage the last time Congress did so, and I am proud to do it again today. This is long overdue, something the previous Republican majority should have made a priority but failed to accomplish.

Today, low-income workers in our economy are getting a bad deal with a minimum wage that doesn't even allow many workers to get by, let alone get ahead working 40 hours a week and living in poverty. That is not a successful American economy, because 10 years have passed without an increase.

Workers stuck earning the current minimum wage of just $7.25 an hour have effectively received a 17 percent pay cut over the last 10 years. That is why the House will vote today on the Raise the Wage Act, which will gradually raise the Federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025, 6 years from now.

This bill also eliminates the subminimum wage for those with disabilities, which will ensure their equal pay and the ability to live with independence.

Many States and municipalities have already raised their minimum wages to this level, and it has not caused the dire consequences that some on the other side of the aisle have predicted. My home State of Maryland took action earlier this year to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. I am proud of that fact.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has determined that raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour would lift 1.3 million Americans directly out of poverty.

Isn't that a good thing to do? Doesn't that make you feel better that we are helping to lift people out of poverty?

And the Economic Policy Institute says that doing so would cause wages to go up for 33 million Americans. That is good for them.

What I suggest is, well, it is good for our economy and it is good for all of us, because it will help grow the economy, make folks more independent, and make them feel better about themselves and about what they are doing.

We campaigned on a promise to raise wages and make sure that American workers can access all the opportunities that make the American Dream possible. That is what we are doing today.

I thank Chairman Bobby Scott and Democrats on the Committee on Education and Labor for their hard work on this legislation.

We said we were going to raise the wage. Today we are going to raise the wage. It is the right thing to do. I urge every Member to support it.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, Speaker Pelosi promised that a $15 minimum wage hike would be passed by the House in the first 100 hours of this Congress, so it is not surprising that 7 months later the Rules Committee accepted a manager's amendment to add a modest amount of extra time for small businesses to feel the full effect of this bill.

Also, our colleague has said that this will lift 1.3 million people out of poverty, but it is also going to knock 3.7 million people out of jobs. So, let's keep it all in perspective.

I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I think it is laughable for anybody in this House to say that the government is going to raise your wages. The government doesn't raise wages. What the government does is provide an environment for businesses to raise wages, and that is where the decision should be.

And it is laughable to me that Members of Congress actually believe that they are going to raise the wages of people in this country by this legislation. The Congressional Budget Office recently released a report saying that almost 4 million jobs could be lost if this legislation were implemented.

I remind my colleagues that we had an 8-year war on business, and, guess what. In 2016, we said that war is over. America is open for business.

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With Georgia being the number one State to do business in for the past 6 years, this damaging Federal mandate would reverse all of the great work our State has done to grow jobs and the economy.

And I am telling you, we are getting it done in Georgia, but I don't want Maryland to determine what Georgia is going to do and I don't want Seattle to determine what Georgia is going to do.

As a businessman, I know that our economy is all about supply and demand, and with more job openings, then job seekers' wages are going to go up. You have to pay more to keep talent. It is supply and demand, folks.

In fact, in 2018, wages and salaries saw the largest increase in more than a decade, thanks to the economic environment led by a Republican-

led Congress and President Trump that has spurred economic growth and prosperity.

The last thing we need are more one-size-fits-all Washington mandates that lead to job cuts, cut workers' hours for automation, and ultimately shut the doors of our Nation's small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this legislation.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleague that his vote against this bill is a vote to deny 41 percent of the workers in his district in Georgia an average raise of about $3,800 a year, and I don't think they are laughing about that.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Pocan), the co-chair of the Progressive Caucus.

Mr. POCAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Scott for yielding.

I do find it interesting to sit and listen to a debate today where people who make $174,000 a year and half of which are millionaires are telling people they should be satisfied trying to exist on $15,000 a year, which is the very reason we are here today: to try to raise the wage for 33 million people, a quarter of the workforce in this country.

No family in the United States can live on $7.25 an hour and make ends meet.

In my home State of Wisconsin, you would have to work 93 hours a week at minimum wage in order to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment, and there is not a single county in the country where a worker earning the minimum wage for 40 hours a week can afford a two-bedroom apartment.

I come to Congress with 3 decades as a small businessowner. Small business owners know our workers are our customers, our neighbors, and our community members.

When workers have more money in their pockets, they have more money to spend to care for their families and stimulate our economy.

This is especially true in rural areas, where workers have only a handful of employment options. If the primary employer in a rural town is a multibillion-dollar corporation like Walmart, they can afford to pay their workers $15 an hour instead of holding down wages for the entire community.

Congress recently set a new record for the longest stretch in U.S. history without a hike in the minimum wage: 10 years. It is long past due that we show workers respect by putting more money in their pockets and support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the United Food and Commercial Workers.

UFCW,

Washington, DC, July 15, 2019.To All Members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Dear Representative: On behalf of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) which represents more than 1.3 million hard-working Americans in food and non-food retail, pharmacy, food processing, and manufacturing, I urge you to vote for the Raise the Wage Act

(H.R. 582) and vote against any amendments that would weaken the bill. UFCW will be scoring this vote.

The Raise the Wage Act will raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.55 this year and gradually increase it over the next five years until it reaches $15 an hour in 2024. After 2024, the minimum wage will be indexed so that it continues to rise along with a typical workers wage. The Raise the Wage Act will also end unfair exclusions for tipped workers, people with disabilities, and youth so that they, too, can benefit from a decent minimum wage.

Raising the minimum wage will be good for the economy and stimulate consumer spending. Today's low-wage workers earn less per hour than their counterparts did 50 years ago but productivity has nearly doubled in that time. If the minimum wage had been raised at the same pace as productivity growth, it would be over $20 an hour today. Increasing the minimum wage would generate $144 billion in additional wages and most of those extra earnings would be spent in grocery stores and other main street businesses because lower-paid workers spend a greater proportion of their earnings.

The Raise the Wage Act would deliver long-overdue raises to a large segment of the workforce. Gradually raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2024 would lift pay for nearly 40 million workers--26.6 percent of the U.S. workforce. A $15 minimum wage would begin to reverse decades of pay inequality between the lowest-paid workers and the middle class.

Raising the minimum wage would significantly benefit workers of color and women. Nearly two-fifths (38 percent) of African Americans and one-third (33 percent) of Latinos would get a raise and 56 percent of women workers would benefit.

Across the country, there is overwhelming momentum in favor of raising wages for our nation's lowest-wage workers. Since 2014, twenty-one states, plus D.C., have approved minimum wage increases. California, Massachusetts, New York, and the District of Columbia have approved raising their minimum wages to $15 an hour and Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Arizona, Missouri, Michigan, and Maine have approved minimum wages ranging from $12 to $14.75 an hour.

UFCW opposes a regional minimum wage. Regional minimum wages bake-in low wages to already low-wage places. Rural counties and Southern cities where wages have been depressed for a variety of social, political, and economic reasons would effectively have their low-wage status locked in. The power of the minimum wage to boost worker incomes, and thus consumer buying power, would be legislatively kneecapped for the areas that could most use a boost in local consumer demand.

Raising the minimum wage is long overdue. I call on every member of Congress to vote for the Raise the Wage Act and enact this import piece of legislation as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,

Ademola Oyefeso,

International Vice President, Director,

Legislative and Political Action Department.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Byrne).

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 582.

This bill would cause disruptive job losses and harm entry-level workers in many regions around the country, effectively knocking the bottom rung off the career ladder and especially hurting young workers.

Last Monday, CBO issued a long-awaited study, which estimates that up to 3.7 million jobs would be lost from a $15 minimum wage, with a median estimate of 1.3 million jobs lost. That includes 44,000 jobs that would be lost in my home State of Alabama, and those under 21 will suffer half those job losses.

When comparing those numbers with the report's estimate that only 1.3 million individuals would be lifted out of poverty, H.R. 582 would cost at least one job to be lost for every person who moved out of poverty. In the CBO's high-impact scenario, as many as three jobs would be lost for every individual moving out of poverty.

This is not a tradeoff that Congress should ask America's workers and small businesses to make, and I especially don't think we should ask our young workers to make it.

Significantly, CBO has also found there would be a reduction in real family income by 2025 of $9 billion, effectively reducing pay for many American families.

Remember, wages are currently on the rise thanks to a booming economy, the Republican Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and President Trump's focus on eliminating wasteful regulations.

With 7.3 million unfilled jobs nationwide, job creators know they must offer competitive wages and benefits to attract and retain workers, and 29 States already have a minimum wage higher than the Federal floor.

Instead of providing tangible benefits to working class Americans, H.R. 582 would cause the most harm to the very people its supporters claim to help.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleague that his vote against this bill is a vote to deny about 37 percent of the workers in his district in Alabama an average wage of about $3,700 a year.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Norcross), a distinguished member of the Committee on Education and Labor.

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Scott for making sure that we finally, after 11 years, will have a vote to raise the minimum wage.

This is America. You play by the rules, you work hard, you are supposed to be able to make it, but that is not the way it is.

Less than 2 years ago, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle made sure that the top 1 percent got their raise, as they are stepping on the American worker.

Today is the day that we set the record straight and give opportunities to those who need it the most.

Henry Ford said it: Make sure you pay your employees enough money so they can buy your product and services.

That is the true case of what is going on here today. You give a raise to the people who need it the most to survive, not to invest overseas or in a shore home. They will spend it right in their neighborhood going to the supermarket and drugstore.

They shouldn't have to make the decision whether or not to put clothes on their kids' backs or to feed them, but that is what is going on today.

Those in the top 1 percent got their raise. It is time that those who work hard and have the dignity of a job get their raise.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the United Steel Workers.

United Steelworkers,

Pittsburgh, PA, July 15, 2019.Re United Steelworkers support H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage

Act.

House of Representatives,Washington, DC.

Dear Representative: On behalf of the 850,000 members of the United Steelworkers (USW), I urge you to stand with workers and support the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582).

In the 10 years since Congress last took action, the federal minimum wage has remained stagnant, eroding the earnings and purchasing power for millions of American wage workers and their families. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the current federal minimum wage is worth 17 percent less than it was 10 years ago, down a staggering 31 percent from its peak value in 1968. It is clear that this stagnation has resulted in a cut in real wages for those workers who can least afford it.

While 29 states and the District of Columbia have taken action to raise their wage floors, the failure of federal action on the minimum wage means roughly 40 percent of Americans and their communities have seen continued wage stagnation.

It is past time for America to address the growing needs of low-wage workers and low-income families and raise the federal minimum wage. Under the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582), the value of the federal minimum wage would be restored by incrementally raising the nation's wage floor to $15.00 an hour by 2024 and indexing it to inflation. The legislation would also eliminate the subminimum wages currently in effect for tipped workers and workers with disabilities, ensuring that all groups have access to consistent wages.

Everyone benefits when the floor is raised. According to the Congressional Budget Office, raising the wage to $15.00 an hour would boost the earnings of 27 million workers and their families, lifting some of America's neediest families out of poverty. Through this wage increase, the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582) will not only help low-wage workers to meet their basic needs, but it will increase workers' purchasing power, helping to stimulate and grow America's economy.

All workers deserve to make a livable wage. Combined with critically needed labor law reforms, this legislation will serve as an important step to empowering workers. USW urges you to give America's lowest paid workers a raise and enact the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582).

Sincerely,

Thomas M. Conway,

International President.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, our colleagues say all the time that we need to help the people at the bottom of the ladder.

Those are exactly the people who are being helped by the Republican policies that were enacted in the first 2 years of this administration. We are seeing people at the bottom get the highest percentage increase. So that is already being done, and it is because of regulations being reduced and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker).

Mr. SMUCKER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

When I was a teenager, at 14 years old, one of my first jobs was serving as a dishwasher at Smoketown family restaurant. I had no previous work experience, but the owner took a chance on me. I certainly didn't receive a great wage, but it was a starting point, and the lessons that I learned in that job were lessons that I used during my entire career.

I went on after high school to buy a small construction company, operated it for 25 years, creating family-sustaining jobs for hundreds of individuals.

Today, my 16-year-old son serves food in a skilled nursing center after school at a wage of $9 an hour. He is very thrilled with that; again, learning the skills, the people skills, needed, learning to show up for work on time, learning to work hard.

In fact, one of the best indicators of success in a career is whether or not you had a job during high school.

This bill, unfortunately, would rob many of the opportunity to hold that first job. CBO specifically said 3.7 million jobs will be lost as a result of this bill.

Our friends on the other side of the aisle are not talking about that aspect of the bill.

There is no question here about the desire to see every individual that we represent have the opportunity to live the American Dream: the idea the previous speaker just said, the idea that you can work hard, play by the rules, and you can live your dream.

The question is the prescription, and it is a fundamental choice. It is a choice of believing in our free enterprise system, believing in our economic system that has created more opportunity than ever before in the history of the world, or believing in more government control.

Today, someone can apply at the construction company that I operated for many years----

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 20 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. SMUCKER. Today, someone can apply at that company and have no experience and start at $16 an hour. That wasn't a government prescription. That is the free enterprise system at work.

I am very, very proud, as the result of the work that we have done over the last 2 years, the tax reform act, for the first time, we are seeing wages rise.

Again, it is not as a result of a bill like this, which would have exactly the opposite effect on that ability to achieve upward mobility.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleague that his vote against the bill is a vote to deny about 34 percent of the workers in his district in Pennsylvania an average raise of $3,200, and that, in fact, wages for low-income workers have been going up, but only because States and localities have been increasing the minimum wage, just like this bill does.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), the vice chair of the Education and Labor Committee.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter to all Members of the House from the AFL-CIO.

AFL-CIO,

July 12, 2019.

Dear Representative: On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I am writing to urge you to vote for the ``Raise the Wage Act of 2019''

(H.R. 582) scheduled for floor consideration this week. This legislation would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to

$15 an hour by the year 2024. In addition to indexing future increases to the growth in the median wage, the bill would gradually eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers, which has been stuck at $2.13 since 1991.

Because Congress has not raised the minimum wage in more than 10 years, millions of our Nation's full time workers live in poverty. If the minimum wage had risen at the same pace as productivity growth since 1969, it would be over $20 an hour today.

Phasing in a $15 minimum wage would benefit 41 million workers and begin to address the growing crisis of wage inequality. More than half of the workers who would benefit are adults between the ages of 25 and 54, and nearly two-thirds work full time. More than half (56 percent) are women, nearly 30 percent of whom have children.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, by 2024 a single adult without children will need at least $31,200 ($15 per hour on an annual basis) to achieve an adequate standard of living in all parts of the country. Allowing for a lower regional minimum wage, as some have suggested, would lock millions of workers into poverty, and would be especially harmful to people of color and women who would benefit most from a minimum wage increase.

Multiple studies have shown that modest increases in the minimum wage have not resulted in significant job loss, and the income boost experienced by low-income families benefits the country overall by reducing both poverty and income inequality.

Raising the minimum wage to $15 has the support of an overwhelming majority of Americans, and the benefits far exceed any potential cost. Once again, we urge you to vote YES on the Raise the Wage Act and NO on any weakening amendments. In addition, since any Motion to Recommit would be the equivalent of voting against the Raise the Wage Act, we urge you to vote no on the MTR.

Sincerely,

William Samuel,

Govemment Affairs Department.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Bobby Scott for his incredible leadership on this bill, and I rise in strong support of the Raise the Wage Act.

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the previous speaker and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen) that we are proposing precisely zero more regulation than exists. In fact, the Federal Government has set a minimum wage in this country since 1938, all the great growth years of this economy. We are just saying that the rate should be sensible.

I came to Washington to raise the standard of living for working people in Michigan's Ninth District and all across this country, and that is exactly what this bill does.

Working a full-time job should guarantee that you can provide for your family, and a $7.25-an-hour minimum wage doesn't cut it, especially while worker productivity has increased exponentially, and executive salaries have skyrocketed.

The gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) said the CBO score said a minimum of 1.3 million jobs would be lost. I want to correct the record. They said a minimum of zero would be. The median projection is that 1.3 million might be.

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind all of my colleagues that in 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said that 7,769,000 American workers were working multiple jobs because one job didn't cut it, it didn't pay enough for them. And that is almost certainly an undercount, according to all experts.

If just one in five of those people being forced to work multiple jobs could quit their second and third job because one job paid enough, that would take care of 1.6 million jobs we wouldn't need, because workers were being paid a living wage.

We have waited more than 10 years to give American families a raise. And I can tell you that the people of Michigan's Ninth District, where about 104,800 people would get a raise under this bill, have waited long enough.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this historic legislation.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the distinguished Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank him for his extraordinary leadership, historic, really, for giving us this opportunity today to do something very special for the American people, for America's working families.

This is an historic day, yes, because we are raising the minimum wage here in the House of Representatives, because we are channeling the energy of so many people across the country for fairness in the workplace, but it also happens to be the 171st anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention.

The Seneca Falls Convention shook the world, when they had that convention, with the simple proclamation that all men and women are created equal.

This bill achieves that equality, giving nearly 20 million working women, that is nearly one-third of all working women, a raise. And it helps narrow the gender wage gap that disproportionately targets women of color, putting more money in the pockets of more than one-third of working women of color.

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Today, we wake up for a day of jubilation because of the sense of fairness that this legislation engenders. We wake up every morning with a smile on our face, showing the world all the love in our hearts, and that love in our hearts is about fairness for the American people.

It is interesting to note, Mr. Speaker, as has been acknowledged--as I just heard Congressman Levin mention, and others, as well--that it has been 10 years since the Federal minimum wage was raised in the previous Democratic majority. It had been 11 years before then, when we passed it in 2007, and it was signed by President Bush.

It was bipartisan, and we were thrilled about that.

It is interesting to see what has happened in the time since then. While families work hard to make ends meet, the cost of living has surged to unsustainable highs. Inflation has eaten nearly 20 percent of their wages, and the GOP special interest agenda has left them far behind.

I mentioned that this is about equality for women. It is also about 30 million people in our country getting a raise--30 million people--

and so many people being lifted out of poverty.

I talked about 2007. That is when we first passed it in the House. It took a little more time for it to be law, going through the Senate and the rest.

When we passed it, we were so thrilled, knowing that the President would sign it. We had a big rally outside the Capitol. As soon as the rally was finished, Senator Ted Kennedy, who had been a really important part of the Senate action on raising the minimum wage, said:

``You know what we have to do now? We have to raise the minimum wage!''

We always have to be injecting fairness, all the time. We must never stop fighting to honor the dignity of work and pushing forward for working families and women, again, affected so drastically in all of this.

American workers deserve a raise. No one can live with dignity on a

$7.25 per hour wage. Can you?

The Raise the Wage Act honors workers and supports families, giving 33 million Americans a long-overdue raise and lifting many out of poverty.

The bill grows our economy, increasing families' purchasing power, which drives economic growth that lifts up all communities. The consumer confidence of America's working families is an important element in growing our economy.

It brings our democracy closer to the founding ideals, upholding the bedrock idea of fairness in our country, that hard work deserves a decent wage.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a strong, bipartisan vote for this victory for working families and for America because every Member of this institution should be fighting to put more money in the pockets of workers in their community.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Trone), the distinguished member of the Committee on Education and Labor.

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Raise the Wage Act.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter signed by over 1,000 businesses that support a fair minimum wage.

Business for a Fair Minimum Wage Federal $15 Sign On Statement

Part 2 of List of About 1,000 Signers and Counting as of July 17, 2019

Alan Chebot, Owner, Parallax Productions, Allston, MA; Dean Cycon, CEO, Dean's Beans Organic Coffee Company, Orange, MA; Fred Davis, President, Fred Davis Corporation, Medfield, MA; Megan Driscoll, CEO, Pharmalogics Recruiting, Quincy, MA; Dorothy Emerson, Co-founder, Rainbow Solutions, Medford, MA; Paul English, CTO and President, Lola.com Boston, MA; Rob Everts, Co-CEO, Equal Exchange West Bridgewater, MA; Jen Faigel, Executive Director, CommonWealth Kitchen, Dorchester, MA; Nancy Feton, Co-owner, Broadside Bookshop, Northampton, MA; Laura Fisher, Owner, Fisher Agencies--American Income Life, Buington, MA; Tim Fisk, Owner, Salon Herdis, Northampton, MA; Vincent Frano, Owner, The Bower Studio, Pelham, MA; Julie Fraser, Principal & Director, Lyno Advisors Inc & Present Source, Cummaquid, MA; David Gardner, President/Owner, Boyds Direct Corp, Stoneham, MA; Julie Goodridge, CEO, Northstar Asset Management. Inc., Boston, MA.

Myrna Greenfield, Owner, Good Egg Marketing, Jamaica Plain, MA; Jeff Greim, Founder/CEO, Your Choice Brands, Longmeadow, MA; Tim Greiner, Owner, Pure Strategies, Gloucester, MA; Valerie + Lhsan Gurdal, Owners, Formaggio Kitchen, Boston, MA; Abraham Gutman, President & CEO, AG Mednet, Inc., Boston, MA; Laury Hammel, Owner and CEO, The Longfellow Clubs, Wayland, MA; Laurence Hammel, Executive Director, Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts, Wayland, MA; Jackie Herskovitz Russell, Founder and President, Teak Media + Communication, Boston, MA; Shel Horowitz, Owner, Going Beyond Sustainability, Hadley, MA; Yscaira Jimenez, CEO, LaborX, Boston, MA; Michael Kanter, Owner, Cambridge Naturals, Cambridge, MA; Emily Kanter, Owner, Cambridge Naturals, Boston, MA; Stephen Katsurlnls, Owner, 8 Dyer Hotel, Provincetown, MA; Sonia Kowal, President, Zevin Asset Management, Boston, MA; Susan Labandlbar, President, Tech Networks of Boston, Cambridge, MA; Mike Lapham, Project Director, Responsible Wealth, Boston, MA.

Joseph Laur, Owner, MapleMama Beverages, Wendell, MA; Gail Leondar-Wright, Owner, Gail Leondar Public Relations, Arlington, MA; Karen Levy, Owner, Karen Ann Massage, Jamaica Plain, MA; Rob Libon, Investment Advisor, Greenvest, West Whately, MA; Carol Marsh, Owner, Helios Design Group, Jamaica Plain, MA; Philip Mccarron, Owner, Beacon Solar, Fall River, MA; Ann McEwen, Hospital Administrator, Riverbend Animal Hospital, Hadley, MA; Tim McNerney, Founder, Repair Collective, Shutesbury, MA; Kim Mitchell, Owner, Boing! JP's Toy Shop, Jamaica Plain, MA; Nick Moore, Owner, Moore Agencies, Marlborough, MA; Merry Nasser, Partner, Lesser Newman Aleo & Nasser, Northampton, MA; Larry O'Toole, Founder and CEO, Gentle Giant Moving Company, Somerville, MA; Heather Odell, Owner, 3cross Fermentation Cooperative, Worcester, MA; M Older, Owner (Retired), Martha's, Cambridge, MA; John Pepper, Founder, Owner, Boloco, Boston, MA.

Berit Pratt, CEO, NitWits LLC, Belmont, MA; James Razsa, CEO, Democracy Brewing, Boston, MA; Dan Rosenberg, General Manager, Real Pickles, Greenfield, MA; Joseph Rotella, President, Spencer Organ Company, Waltham, MA; David Sandberg, Owner, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA; John Schall, Owner, El Jefe's Taqueria, Cambridge, MA; David Schreiber, Investment Advisor, CFP, Greenvest, Arlington, MA; Cullen Schwarz, Founder/CEO, DoneGood, PBC, Cambridge, MA; Anne Sherman, Director of Operations & Sustainability, Staach Inc., Cambridge, MA; Alex Silva, Owner, Best Value Janitorial, Malden, MA; Joy Silverstein, Owner, Fresh Hair, Jamaica Plain, MA; Harvy Simkovlts, President, Business Wisdom, Lexington, MA; Peter Simpson, Owner, Haymarket Cafe, Northampton, MA; Holly Sklar, CEO, Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, Boston, MA; Peter Smith, Principal, Global Urban Solutions Newton, MA; Rachael Solem, Owner, Irving House at Harvard, Cambridge, MA.

Alan Solomont, Ambassador (Ret), Formerly Chairman of Solomont Bailis Ventures, Weston, MA; David Starr, Managing Partner, Berkshire Natural, Florence, MA; Dorie Stolley, Owner, Three Birds Consulting, Plymouth, MA; Robert Thomas, Social(k) Inc., Social(k) Inc., Springfield, MA; Sidney Topol, President, The Topal Group, Boston, MA; Marlo Troiani, IT Consultant, MIC, Newton, MA; David Warner, Owner, City Feed and Supply, Boston, MA; Nicola WIiiiams, President, The Williams Agency, Cambridge, MA; Michael Alexander, President, Conscious Living, LLC, Clinton, MD; Bilal Ali, Executive Director, Omnis Health Life Wellness Center, Baltimore, MD; Ned Atwater, Owner, Atwater's Traditional Food, Baltimore, MD; Souley Bah, Owner, Bah Agencies, Lanham, MD; Alissa Barron-Menza, Vice President, Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, Silver Spring, MD; Mitchell Berliner, Owner, Skinny Salamis, Potomac, MD.

Denise Bowyer, Vice President, American Income Life Insurance Company, North Beach, MD; Holly Budd, PresidenUCEO, Williams & Heintz Map Corporation, Capitol Heights, MD; Andrew Buerger, Owner, B'more Organic, Baltimore, MD; Annebeth Bunker, Owner, Annebeth's, Annapolis, MD; Tim Cureton, Owner, Rise Up Coffee Roasters, Easton, MD; Brian England, President, BA Auto Care, Columbia, MD; Alan Gregerman, President and Chief Innovation Officer, VENTURE WORKS Inc., Silver Spring, MD; Seth Grimes, Owner, Alta Plana Corporation, Takoma Park, MD; Molty Hauck, President, Molly Perkins Hauck, Ph.D., LLC, Rockville, MD; Laura Hodges, Owner, Laura Hodges Studio, Catonsville, MD; Irwin Hoenig, Owner, Living Calmness, Laurel, MD; Dennis Hoffman, Owner, District East, Frederick, MD; Damian Jones, Owner, Aid Through Trade, Annapolis, MD; Jacquelyn Jones Ziegler, Owner, Sugar, Baltimore, MD; Tamira Keith, Owner, Fashion Hangers Boutique, Baltimore, MD; Devora Kimelman-Block, CEO, KOL Foods, Silver Spring, MD.

Tom Koerber, President, On Point Help, Baltimore, MD; Gabriel Kroiz, Principal, Kroiz Architecture, Baltimore, MD; Jeffrey Landsman, Owner, Specialty Food Sales, Towson, MD; Michael Lastoria, Founder and CEO, &pizza, Baltimore, MD; Ivan Makfinsky, Owner, Endosys, LLC, Montgomery Village, MD; Cerrill Meister, Owner, Eye Candy Opticianry Inc, Baltimore, MD; Nancy Meyer, CEO, Community Forklift, Edmonston, MD; John Mitchell, Owner, Interaction Law, Accokeek, MD; Karim Morsli, Owner, Winkler Automotive Service Center, Gaithersburg, MO; Scott Nash, Owner, CEO, MOM's Organic Market, Rockville, MD; Ellen Reich, Owner, Three Stone Steps, Baltimore, MD; Aaeron Robb, Owner, Ramsay Construction, Baltimore, MD; Glenn Roessler, Business Development Strategist, Vigilante Coffee Company, Hyattsville, MD; Abigail Rome, Owner, Tierra Vista, Silver Spring, MD; Gina Schaefer, Owner, Canton, Federal Hill, Waverly, Old Takoma Ace Hardware Stores, Baltimore, MD; Aaron Seyedian, Owner, Well-Paid Maids, Baltimore, MD; Andy Shallal, Owner, Busboys and Poets Restaurants, Hyattsville, MD.

Daniel Solomon, Managing Member, Soapstone Investments, Bethesda, MD; Mayaah Tansi, Owner, Unik Touch Hair Palace, Windsor Mill, MD; Richard Torgerson, Registered Principal, SharePower Responsible Investing, Westminster, MD; Christopher Vigilante, Owner, Vigilante Coffee Company, Hyattsville, MD; Eleanor Whalen, CEO, Sprayology, Gaithersburg, MD; Scott Cooper, Director of Finance, Crown O'Maine, North Vassalboro, ME; Steve Corman, Owner, Vena's Fizz House, Portland, ME; Rebecca Darr, Co-Owner, Atayne Brunswick, ME; Susan Farnsworth, Owner, Farnsworth Law Office Hallowell, ME; Michael Landgarten, CEO/Owner, Bob's Clam Hut/Lil's Cafe, Kittery, ME; Jonathan Motzkin, Co-Owner, Makewell, Portland, ME; Sharon Peralta, Principal, Custom Computer Services & more, Springvale, ME; Mike Shunney, Owner, Inner Works Center, Rockland, ME; James Wellehan, President, Lamey-Wellehan Shoes, Auburn, ME; Phillis Engelbert, Co-founder & Co-owner, The Lunch Room Diner and Canteen & The Detroit Filling Station, Ann Arbor, MI; Wap John, CEO, Grafaktri Inc., Ann Arbor, MI.

Heather Leavitt, Owner, Sweet Heather Anne, Ann Arbor, MI; Katherine Lesse, Co-Owner, Abracadabra Jewelry, Ann Arbor, MI; William Martin, Founder and Director, Bio-Health Centre, Lansing, MI; Joel Panozzo, Co-founder & Co-owner, The Lunch Room Diner and Canteen & The Detroit Filling Station, Ann Arbor, MI; Nat Pernick, CEO, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc., Bingham Farms, MI; Paul Saginaw, Co-Founding Partner, Zingerman's Community of Businesses, Ann Arbor, MI; Scott Urbanowski, Owner, Humanoid Digital, Kentwood, MI; Robert Vogt, CEO, IOSiX, Ypsilanti, MI; Arlys Alford, Owner, Believe You Can Sing!, Eden Prairie, MN; Kevin Brown, Owner, Smart Set, Inc., Minneapolis, MN; Bruce Champeau, President and COO, Room & Board, Golden Valley, MN; Bruce Champeau, President and COO, Room & Board, Edina, MN; Chad Deley, CEO, The Deley Group, Brooklyn Park, MN; Karen Denzel, CEO, Insight Restoration, Plymouth, MN; RJ Devick, President, Bond

& Devick Wealth Partners, St Louis Park, MN; Susan Edgington, Owner, Adventure Inn, Ely, MN; Audrey Fairchild-Ehm, Owner, Fairchild-Ehm Foster Care, Roseville, MN.

Eileen Fisher, Founder, EILEEN FISHER, Edina, MN; Chris Hanson, CEO, thedatabank, gbc, Saint Paul, MN; Melina Lamer, CEO, Superior Switchel, Saint Cloud, MN; Christopher Loch, Owner, CONTEMPLB T-SHIRTS, Minneapolis, MN; Edna McKenzie, CEO, Midwest Select Contracting, Minneapolis, MN; Niel Ritchie, CEO, Main Street Project, Minneapolis, MN; Steven Rothberg, Founder, College Recruiter, Minneapolis, MN; Linh Tu, President, LKT Consulting, Brooklyn Park, MN; Randy Alberhasky, Owner, Randy Alberhasky Attorney At Law, Springfield, MO; Michael Allen, Owner, Blossoms Floral, Springfield, MO; Blanca Anchondo-Polite, Owner, Engage and Connect LLC, Kansas City, MO; Luke Babich, Principal & Chief Strategy Officer, Clever Real Estate, St. Louis, MO; Amy Blansit, Owner, Solely Jolie, Springfield, MO; Priscilla Block, Executive Director, St. Louis ArtWorks, St. Louis, MO; Keith Bradley, Co-Owner, Made in KC, Kansas City, MO; Bethany Budde-Cohen, Owner, SqWires Restaurant, St. Louis, MO; Jordan Carr, Owner, Oddities Prints, Kansas City, MO.

Jessie Chappell, Owner, CG Immigration Law, St. Louis, MO; Joseph Chevalier, Owner, Yellow Dog Bookshop, Columbia, MO; Pam Clark, Owner, Clark's Appliances, Raytown, MO; Frances Collier, Owner, CEO, River City Rebar LLC, Kansas City, MO; Zaid Consuegra, Owner & Chef, Pirate's Bone, Kansas City, MO; Caitlin Corcoran, Managing Partner, Ca Va, Kansas City, MO; Dominique Davison, Owner & CEO, DRAW Architecture, Kansas City, MO; Fred Domke, President, Bridge Bread Bakery, St. Louis, MO; Nancy Dornan, Owner, Maschino's, Springfield, MO; Mike Draper, Owner, Raygun LLC, Kansas City, MO; Keely Edgington, Owner, Julep Kansas City, MO; Joe Edwards, Owner, The Pageant & Delmar Hall Concert Nightclubs, St. Louis, MO; Joe Edwards, Owner, Blueberry Hill Restaurant & Music Club, St. Louis, MO; James Fields, Owner, Divine Deli and Drop In University, City, MO; Jeff Gold, Owner, Anji Mountain, St. Louis, MO; David Gragg, Agency Owner, David Gragg--Farmers Insurance Agent, Springfield, MO; Blake Green, Owner, BG Law, North Kansas City, MO.

Howard Hanna, Owner, The Rieger, Kansas City, MO; Ruth Ellen Hasser, Celebrant, St. Louis Ceremonies, St. Louis, MO; Pam Hausner, Owner, Big Vision Design, Kansas City, MO; Notley Hawkins, Owner, Notley Hawkins Photography, Columbia, MO; Cindy Higgerson, Owner, Larder & Cupboard, Maplewood, MO; Craig Hosmer, Owner, Hosmer King & Royce, Springfield, MO; Nate Hunt, Co-Owner, Correa-Hunt Agency, Kansas City, MO; Joe Jackson, Owner and CEO, Jackson Pianos, St. Louis, MO; Dorothy Jones, Owner, Bespoke, St. Louis, MO; Stacy Jurado-Miller, Owner, Chief Mission Officer, The Vecino Group, Springfield, MO; Karen Karabell, Managing Partner, S.F. Shannon Real Estate Management LLC, St. Louis, MO; Laurie Knowlton, Owner, Zen3 Spa and Bodyworks, Springfield, MO; Laurie Knowlton, Owner, Pickwick Underground Framing, Springfield, MO; Liz Kuba, Owner, Tea Rex, St. Louis, MO; Matthew Laufketter, Owner, The Ink Spot, St. Louis, MO; Paul Lauritsen, General Manager, Moonrise Hotel, St. Louis, MO.

Ronnie Light, Owner, Sam Light Loan Co., St. Louis, MO; Leigh Lockhart, Owner, Main Squeeze, Columbia, MO; Katie McCroskey, Co-Owner, Bob McCroskey Real Estate, Inc., Springfield, MO; Andre McCullum, Owner, Hart-McCallum Agency, Earth City, MO; Chris Meyers, Owner, Crane Brewing Company, Raytown, MO; Alyson Miller, Executive Director, Partners for Just Trade, St. Louis, MO; Andrew Montee, Owner, Mokaska Coffee Company, St. Joseph, MO; Erin Noble, VP of Business Operations, StraightUp Solar LLC, St. Louis, MO; Hilary Noonan, Principal, Syntax Land Design, LLC, Kansas City, MO; Dorian Oldham, Owner, Oldham Midwest, Kansas City, MO; Lew Prince, Co-Founder & CEO (Ret.), Vintage Vinyl, St. Louis, MO; Marissa Rosen, Owner, Climate Social, St. Louis, MO; Julie Sommer, Owner & Operating Manager, Sommer Property Investments, LLC, St. Louis, MO; Matthew Thenhaus, Owner & General Manager, The Fortune Teller Bar, St. Louis, MO; Phil Wages, Co-Owner, Wages Brewing Company, West Plains, MO; Peter Wallach, Director, Peter Wallach Fine Art, St. Louis, MO; Nick Ward-Bopp, Owner, Maker Village, Kansas City, MO.

Bridget Weible, Owner, Flowers to the People, St. Louis, MO; William Handsaker, Partner, C&J Painting, Bozeman, MT; Anne Alexander, Owner, Authentic Alternatives, Inc., Pisgah Forest, NC; Elizabeth Altman, Owner, New Bridge Organic Market, Jacksonville, NC; Philip Chagnon, Owner/Manager, Residential Rental Properties, Raleigh, NC; Kristen Daniels, Owner, Kamibashi Corporation, Leicester, NC; Susan Inglis, Executive Director, Sustainable Furnishings Council, Edenton, NC; Jeffrey Jones, Owner, Rock Hard Media Group, Bolivia, NC; Angela McElwee, President, Gaia Herbs, Brevard, NC; Antonio Reyes, Owner, Reyes Agency, Mathews, NC; Lloyd Smith, President and CEO, Cortech Solutions, Wilmington, NC; Daniel Swimm, Founder, Grow Fragrance, Durham, NC; Gunnar Berg, Partner, Hill People LLC, N. Sandwich, NH; Jessica Christoferson, Owner, Cymbidium Floral, Exeter, NH; Rebecca Hamilton, Co-CEO and Family Owner, W.S. Badger Company, Gilsum, NH; Kyle Swann, Owner, Angelica's Muse, Portsmouth, NH.

Kris Thieme, Owner, Thieme Agency, Londonderry, NH; Esteve Torrens, CEO, Stonyfield Farm, Londonderry, NH; Bill Whyte, Co-Founder, W.S. Badger Company, Gilsum, NH; Jeffrey Axelbank, Owner, Jeffrey Axelbank, Psy.D., Highland Park, NJ; Alicia Biasotti Belotta, Owner, ACB Consulting Services, Verona, NJ; Mitch Cahn, President, Unionwear, Newark, NJ; Vincent Clyne, Managing Partner, PAIRINGS, Cranford, NJ; James Devine, Owner, CEO, Devine Advertising Associates, Rahway, NJ; Gall Friedberg, Vice President, Zago Manufacturing Company, Newark, NJ; Timothy Glordano, Attorney, Timothy K. Giordano, Esq., Montclair, NJ; Richard Lawton, Founder, Triple Ethos, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ; Richard Lawton, Executive Director, New Jersey Sustainable Business Council, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ; Sally Malanga, CEO, Ecco Bella, West Orange, NJ; Myles Mendoza, Owner & Design Director, Designmaster Group, Edgewater, NJ; Eric Russell, Owner, Drinkable Air Northeast, Basking Ridge, NJ; Andy Smith, Owner, Andy Smith Photography, Newton, NJ; Chet Van Wert, President, Sustainable Business Partners, Scotch Plains, NJ.

Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, President and CEO, Earth Friendly Products (Makers of ECOS), Parsippany, NJ; Kimi Wei, CEO, The Wei, Fair Lawn, NJ; Adam Woods, CEO, Camden Printworks, Camden, NJ; Dr. Kathleen Burke, MD, Las Cruces, NM; Beatriz Ferreira, Owner, Paz International, Las Cruces, NM; Elene Gusch, CEO, Kuan Yin Acupuncture, Albuquerque, NM; Linda Lillow, Owner, Triple L, Ink Graphic Design, Albuquerque, NM; Alston Lundgren, Owner (retired), Alston C Lundgren, MD, PC, Santa Fe, NM; Judith Shipsky, President, Solutions!, Albuquerque, NM; Drew Tulchin, Owner, UpSpring, Santa Fe, NM; Anam Kinsey, Owner, BnB SEO, Reno, NV; Corey Neff, Owner, Neff Agency, Las Vegas, NV; Steven Abel, CEO, Center for Mediation & Training, Upper Nyack, NY; Nick Balaban, President, Nick Balaban Music, Inc., Brooklyn, NY; Sebastian Bardin-Greenberg, Owner, Overtime Records, Brooklyn, NY; Dave Bauer, President & Owner, The Change Circle, Inc, Williamsville, NY; David Bolotsky, Founder and CEO, UncommonGoods, Brooklyn, NY.

Nancy Boyd, President, Bright Wings Inc., Briarcliff Manor, NY; Richard Brook, Member, Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, New York, NY; Ann Bryan, Owner, Ann Krupp Designer Goldsmith, Saugerties, NY; Simon Burke-Lipiczky, Owner, Build Smart With Simon, Troy, NY; Linda Christensen, Owner, Blue Quarry Designs, Trumansburg, NY; Jon Cooper, President, Spectronics Corporation, Westbury, NY; Jennifer Dotson, Executive Director, Ithaca Carshare, Ithaca, NY; Marie Duryea, President, Special Instruction, Northport, NY; Kathie Fox, Co-Owner, Fanciful Fox, New York, NY; Jeff Furman, Board Member Emeritus, Ben & Jerry's, Ithaca, NY; Ajax Greene, Founder/CEO, On Belay Business Advisors Inc., Gardiner, NY; Brett Gryska, Owner, Oldham-Gryska Agency, Rochester, NY; Valerie + lhsan Gurdal, Owners, Formaggio Kitchen, New York, NY; Amy Hall, Vice President. Social Consciousness, EILEEN FISHER, Irvington, NY; Susan Hansen, Owner, Hansen's Advisory Services, Inc., Fayetteville, NY; Seth Hirsh, President, Equus Bloodstock LLC, North Woodmere, NY; Kathleen Hoffman, Owner, Law Office of Thomas Hoffman, New York, NY.

Brian Hogan, Owner, ICT, Bronx, NY; Jeffrey Hollender, Founder, Jeffrey Hollender Partners, New York, NY; Eric Horowitz, Owner, The Double Windsor, Brooklyn, NY; Gintas Janusonis, Owner, Janusonic Music, Brooklyn, NY; Margaret Johnston, Owner, BEZ Services LLC, Binghamton, NY; Heidi Jones, Partner, Allen Street Consulting, Buffalo, NY; Iva Kaufman, Principal, lva Kaufman Associates, New York, NY; Jenny Krauss, President, Jenny Krauss, New York, NY; Carole Laible, CEO, Domini Impact Investments, New York, NY; David Levine, President, American Sustainable Business Council, New York, NY; Paul Lightfoot, CEO, BrightFarms, Inc., New York, NY; Bright Limm, Owner, Principal, Bright D Limm, Esq., Flushing, NY; George McDonald, President, The Doe Fund, New York, NY; Keith Mestrich, President and CEO, Amalgamated Bank, New York, NY; Jeff Mikkelson, Owner, Jeff Mikkelson Photography, New York, NY; Michael Miller, Managing Partner, Rowan Consulting, Howard Beach, NY; Leon Miller-Out, President/CTO, Singlebrook Technology, Ithaca, NY.

Prish Moran, Owner, Sweet_ness 7 Cafe, Buffalo, NY; Joshua Morton, Owner, Proof of Concept, LLC, Brooklyn, NY; Ean Murphy, Managing Partner, Moxie Bookkeeping, New York, NY; Michael Owen, Principal, MediaCombo, New York, NY; Clifton Patrick, Owner, Clifton Patrick P&C Insurance, Chester, NY; Del Pedro, Managing Partner, Tooker Alley, Brooklyn, NY; Eleanor Prior, Owner, Prior Beeswax, Germantown, NY; Erwin Rakoczy, Director, CUFF, Clarence, NY; Jan Rhodes Norman, Owner, Silk Oak, Ithaca, NY; Jonathan Rose, President, Jonanthan Rose Companies, New York, NY; Darius Ross, Managing Partner, D Alexander Ross Real Estate Capital Partners, New York, NY; Patrick Rousseau, Owner, Iris MediaWorks, Brooklyn, NY; Lesli Sagan, Owner, Avital's Apiaries, Ithaca, NY; Steven Salsberg, Chairman, Global Access, New York, NY; Jeffrey Scales, Managing Principal, JSA Financial Group, Rhinebeck, NY; Elizabeth Scalisi, Owner/President, Green Effects Landscaping Services, Inc., Manlius, NY; Jason Schuler, Founder and President, Drink More Good, Beacon, NY.

Elizabeth Schwartz, Co-Owner, Better Speech Now, Long Island City, NY; Dylan Skolnick, Co-Director, Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, NY; Esther Sokolsky, Co-Owner, Granny Press, Nyack, NY; Simon Thoresen, Owner, Thoresen and Linard Architects, New York, NY; Scott Tillitt, Founder, Antidote Collective, Beacon, NY; Scott Tillitt, Founder, BEAHIVE, Beacon, NY; Brad Walrod, President, Kenoza Type, Inc., Kenoza Lake, NY; Steve Zorn, Racing Manager/Owner, Castle Village Farm, Garden City, NY; Pat Benedure, Owner, The SS Bendure-Hartwig Group, Columbus, OH; Nicholas Eastman, President, Electroshield, Yellow Springs, OH; Kevin Holtz, Owner, Holtz Agency, Cincinnati, OH; Gary Johnson, President, AFI Contractors, Toledo, OH; Chris Kloth, Owner, ChangeWorks of the Heartland, Columbus, OH; Steve Mokris, Owner, Kosada, Athens, OH; Matthew Parks, Owner, SS-Parks-Salvaggi Agency, North Royalton, OH; Jim Surace, Owner, Surace-Smith Agency, North Royalton, OH; Paul Akins, Owner, Distinctive Designs Salon, The Village, OK.

Andrea Anderson, Owner, AM Artistry Printing & Vinyl, Oklahoma City, OK; Dorshak Blok, Owner, Planet Dorshak, Oklahoma City, OK; William Bourne, Owner, Bachle's Fireplace Furnishings, Oklahoma City, OK; Lourdes Chavez, Owner, Dog Dynasty Grooming, Oklahoma City, OK; Ely Cocklin, Owner, BY.E Gallery, Oklahoma City, OK; Michael Dixon, Owner, Earthwise Pet Supply, Oklahoma City, OK; John Dunning, Owner, Trolley Stop Record Shop, Oklahoma City, OK; Jerry Fina, Owner, Dee's Shoe Repair, Oklahoma City, OK; Rex Friend, Attorney at Law, Attorney at Law, Oklahoma City, OK; Gena Goforth, Owner, Architectural Hardware Designs, Oklahoma City, OK; Diana Harris, Owner, Bad Granny's Bazaar, Oklahoma City, OK; Kyle Hix, Owner, Hix Design, Oklahoma City, OK; Angela Hodgkinson, Co-Owner, Solare, Oklahoma City, OK; Anthony Hurndon, Owner, K. Marie's Premium Kutz & Stylez, Oklahoma City, OK; Samuel Jones, Owner, Sammy's Barber Shop, Oklahoma City, OK; Phillip Jordan, Owner, Fitzgerald's Barber & Supply, Oklahoma City, OK; Ron Lira, Owner, Honest Ron's Guitars, Oklahoma City, OK.

Charles Martin, Owner, Literati Press, Oklahoma City, OK; Richard Mills, Owner, The Scuba Dudes, Oklahoma City, OK; Bryan Moore, Barber, Rooted Barber Shop, Oklahoma City, OK; Pam Nath, Owner, Drybar, Oklahoma City, OK; Jessi Newsome, Co-Owner, OKcollective Candle Co., Oklahoma City, OK; Seth Nun, Owner, AM: Donuts, Oklahoma City, OK; Patrick Patterson, Owner, Prairie Arts Collective, Oklahoma City, OK; Max Radcliffe, Owner, Annex Barber Shop, Oklahoma City, OK; Aadi Rajbhandari, Co-Owner, Fix A Phone, Oklahoma City, OK; Chelsea Ricks, Owner, Chantilly Couture, Oklahoma City, OK; Angel Rivera, Owner, Manhattan Tailors, Oklahoma City, OK; James Scott, Owner, Scott's General Store, Oklahoma City, OK; John Seward, Co-Founder, AMP Variety, Oklahoma City, OK; Mandy Smith, Owner, The Motley Parlour, Oklahoma City, OK; Julie Stanfill, Owner, Julie's Barber Shop, Oklahoma City, OK; Beth Stetson, Weddle Prof. of Accounting, U. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK; Vartan ``Tony'' Tonian, Owner, A1 NW Vacuum & Janitor Supplies, Oklahoma City, OK.

Eden Turrentine, Owner, Eden, Oklahoma City, OK; Robin Venters, Owner, OKC Music and Sound, Oklahoma City, OK; Paul Windham, Owner, The Mattress Place, Oklahoma City, OK; Pete & Jeanie Barkett, Owner, Vinnie's Pizza, Portland, OR; Adrienne Catone, CEO, Faerie's Dance, Inc., Happy Valley, OR; Daniel Davis, Owner and President, D2X Construction LLC/ D2X Associates, Central Point, OR; Larry Fried, Owner, Do Good Investing, LLC, Eugene, OR; Rosa Gerstner, Owner, Sympatico Clothing, Jacksonville, OR; Nicole Loffler, Owner, Nomadics Tipi Makers, Bend, OR; Kevin Marr, Owner, Motel Del Rogue, Grants Pass, OR; Constance Palaia, Owner, Motel Del Rogue, Grants Pass, OR; Mitch Rofsky, President, Better World Club, Portland, OR; Julie Wasmer, Owner, Food Smart LLC, Corvallis, OR; Dana Weintraub, Owner, Evergreen Sustainability, LLC, Beaverton, OR; Eugene Aleci, Owner, Community Heritage Partners, Lancaster, PA; Simon Arias, Owner, Arias Agencies, Wexford, PA; Benjamin Bingham, CEO, Scarab Funds, Philadelphia, PA.

Laura Blau, Principal, BluPath Design, Philadelphia, PA; Mark Bortman, Owner, Exact Solar, Yardley, PA; Peg Botto, Owner, Cosmic Catering, Philadelphia, PA; Jonathan Brandow, Owner, BizMiner, Camp Hill, PA; Pelcha Chang, CEO, Vault+Vine, Philadelphia, PA; Matt Cleveland, Owner, Occasions Disc Jockeys, Elizabethtown, PA; Charlie Crystle, Principal, Crystle Consulting, Lancaster, PA; Amy Edelman, Owner, Night Kitchen Bakery, Philadelphia, PA; Jennie Groff, CEO, Stroopies, Inc., Lancaster, PA; Kenny Grono, President, Buckminster Green, Philadelphia, PA; Steve Hackman, Owner, One Village Coffee, Souderton, PA; Michael Lastoria, Founder and CEO, &pizza, Philadelphia, PA; Cindy Lou, Owner, Cindy's Pet Care, Philadelphia, PA; Patrick McMahon, CEO, One Point, Scranton, PA; Scott Nash, Owner, CEO, MOM's Organic Market, Bryn Mawr, PA; Michael O'Connor, Owner, La Barberia Jenkintown, PA; Gerald Onesi, Owner, West Side Auto Repair, Uniontown, PA.

Jesse Pellman, Co-Owner, Longview Structures Lancaster, PA; Salam Quadrl, Owner, P&Q Partners, Blue Bell, PA; Anna Shipp, Executive Director, Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA; Brian Taussig-Lux, Co-founder, Untours, Media, PA; John Traynor, Owner, Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, Harrisburg, PA; Ken Weinstein, Owner, Trolley Car Diner, Philadelphia, PA; Peggy Zwerver, Owner, Earth--Bread+ Brewery, Philadelphia, PA; Katie Dyer, Owner, Cadeaux du Mende, Newport, RI; Deborah Schimberg, CEO, Verve, Inc/ Glee Gum, Providence, RI; Lee Barbour, CEO, Avant Garage, Charteston, SC; Judy Doty, Operations Manager & CoFounder, Doty Scientific, Columbia, SC; Jamee Haley, Executive Director, Lowcountry Local First, Charteston, SC; Brady Quirk-Garvan, Owner, Money With A Mission, North Charteston, SC; Mark Tilsen, President & Co-Founder, Native American Natural Foods, Kyle, SD; Richard Aberdeen, President, Freedom Tracks Records, Hermitage, TN; Ruth Black, Owner/Operator, Hidden Springs Nursery, Cookeville, TN.

Maryanna Clarke, Founding Artistic Director, Tennessee Women's Theater Project, Nashville, TN; Doug Havron, Owner, Gabby's Burgers and Fries, Nashville, TN; MaryAnne Howland, CEO, Ibis, Communications Nashville, TN; Stephen Prince, Owner, Card Marketing Services, Nolensville, TN; Sherry Stewart Deutschmann, Founder, Letterlogic, Inc., Nashville. TN; Malissa Anderson, President, EarthWorksTile, Burnet, TX; Chris Applegate, Owner, SHED Barber and Supply, Austin, TX; Domenico Bertini, Executive Vice President, American Income Life, Waco, TX; Kelly Blanscet, Owner, Graphic Granola, Austin, TX; Beth Carls, CEO, OneSeventeen Media, PBC, Austin, TX; Bruce Champeau, President and COO, Room & Board, Dallas, TX; Ronnie ``Merlot'' Coleman, Jr., Owner, Mer1ot's Barbershop, Houston, TX; Ed Fiedler, Owner, Fiedler On the Roof Construction, Austin, TX; EIieen Fisher, Founder, EILEEN FISHER, Dallas, TX; Steve Greer, CEO, American Income Life/National Income Life, Waco, TX; Manlsh Gupta, Owner/CEO, Matr Boomie, Austin, TX; Angela Hudson, Co-Owner, Memorial Music, Houston, TX.

Cliff Hybarger, Owner, Charde Jewelers, Houston, TX; Michael Jones, Owner, River Oaks Bookstore, Houston, TX; Max Kabat, Co-Founder, goodDog, Marfa, TX; Linda J. Mann, Owner, Old Blue House Antiques, Houston, TX; Amanda May, Owner, The Purple Fig Eco Cleaning Co., Austin, TX; Mike Mulloy, Owner, House of Coffee Beans, Houston, TX; Tuyen Kim Ngyuen, Owner, A One Hour Alteration, Houston, TX; Carol Niemi, Owner, Aloha Services Houston, TX; Leslie Ohayon, Owner, Sacred Leaf Wellness, Houston, TX; Adam Orman, Owner/GM, L'Oca d'Oro, Austin, TX; Manuel Oviedo, Owner, Town & Country Tailors, Houston, TX; Dave Panganiban, Owner, Tea Bar and Organics, Houston, TX; Dorothy Perez, Owner, AIIArt Framing & Gallery, Houston, TX; Cindy Reich, Owner, Whim Boutique, Houston, TX; Mustafa Saleem, Owner, Guyz `N' Style, Houston, TX; Mary Shaffer, Owner, Shaffer Studios, Marfa, TX; Suzanne Smith, Founder, Social Impact Architects, Dallas, TX.

Michael Vasu, Owner, Vasu Agency, Houston, TX; Melissa Vogt, Managing Director, The Butterfly Bar @ The VORTEX, Austin, TX; Matt Wright, Co-Founder, Little Brother Bar, Austin, TX; Matt Wright, Owner, Better Half Coffee & Cocktails, Austin, TX; Matt Wright, Owner, Wright Bros. Brew

& Brew, Austin, TX; Uriel Yoemi, Owner, Custom With Us LLC, Houston, TX; Karim Zltoun, Owner, Sam's Repair, Houston, TX; Ziad Zobaidy, Owner, Ziad's Beauty Salon, Houston, TX; Darwin Crosland, CEO & Founder, Abundant Life Social Services, Syracuse, UT; Barry Clemson, Owner, Cybemetica Press, Norfolk, VA; Bruce Grossberg, owner, Buz and Ned's Real Barbecue, Richmond, VA; Michael Lastoria, Founder and CEO,

&pizza, Alexandria, VA; Sandra Leibowitz, Managing Principal, Sustainable Design Consulting, Richmond, VA; Sarah Mason, Owner, Poseidon's Pantry, Chincoteague, VA; Scott Nash, Owner, CEO, MOM's Organic Market, Arlington, VA; James Samans, Executive Member, XENSHA, Alexandria, VA.

Gina Schaefer, Owner, Old Town Ace Hardware, Alexandria, VA; Andy Shallal, Owner, Busboys & Poets Restaurants, Artington, VA; Yvonne Baab, Owner, Global Gifts, Montpelier, VT; Joey Bergsteln, CEO, Seventh Generation, Burtington, VT; Theodore Casparian, Founder, Sustainable Investing 4 All, Morrisville, VT; Ben Cohen, Co-Founder, Ben and Jerry's, South Burlington, VT; Elizabeth Glenshaw, President, Clean Yield Asset Management Norwich, VT; Patricia C. Heffernan, President and Founder, Marketing Partners Burtington, VT; Jeffrey Hollender, Chairman, Sustain Natural, Burlington, VT; Sascha Mayer, CEO, Mamava, Burtington, VT; Sue Morris, Owner, Editide, Marshfield, VT; Todd Walker, Senior Financial Advisor, Greenvest, Wells, VT; Martin Wolf, Director, Product Sustainability, Seventh Generation, Burlington, VT; Rick Altig, President, Altig International, Redmond, WA; Denise Attwood, Owner, Ganesh Himal Trading, Spokane, WA; Kelly Bell, Founder, Gotham City Drupal, Mossyrock, WA.

Diane Emerson, Associate, Watershed LLC, Vashon, WA; Kelsey Marshall, Co-Founder, Grounds for Change, Poulsbo, WA; William McColl, Owner, McColl Studio, Blaine, WA; Gage Mitchell, Owner, Principal, Modern Species, Seattle, WA; John Perkins, CEO, Dream Change, Bainbridge Island, WA; Jyoti Stephens, Sustainability and Stewardship Manager, Nature's Path, Richmond, WA; Sash Sunday, Owner, OlyKraut, Olympia, WA; Kelly Vlahakls-Hanks, President and CEO, Earth Friendly Products (Makers of ECOS), Lacey, WA; Bruce Wade, Owner, Taurus Tech, Mount Vernon, WA; Eric Yarnell, President, Heron Botanicals, Kingston, WA; Michael Katz, President, Molded Dimensions, Port Washington, WI; Gary Lemke, Owner, Gary L. Lemke Landscaping, Potter, WI; Margaret May, Owner, May Educational Psychology, Richland Center, WI; Jerry McGeorge, Vice President of Cooperative Affairs, Organic Valley, La Farge, WI; Jerry Moors, Senior VP of Sales, Springs Window Fashions, Middleton, WI; Mary Stelletello, Founder, Vista Global Coaching & Consulting, Madison, WI.

Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I have a unique perspective on this issue. I was a businessman. Before I ran for Congress, I founded a small business with just a few employees. Now, I own a business with over 7,000 employees in 25 States.

At my company, we understand that if you take care of your team members by paying them a living wage, they will take care of our customers, and our business will do better because of it. Everyone wins.

This isn't hypothetical for me. My business operates in many cities, like Seattle, with a $15 minimum wage. When the laws changed, we didn't cut jobs, and our business did not suffer. Quite the opposite.

When we raise the wage, we see 1.3 million Americans lifted out of poverty, 600,000 of whom are children; we see families who can afford their rent, healthcare, and other necessities; and we see a stronger economy.

When we raise the wage, we see a win for business, a win for working families, and a win for our economy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Scott for his leadership on this critically important issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I started, like many folks did, working when I was a young man. People have different reasons for seeking employment. I needed to get out of the house, as some things were happening at the house, but I didn't have any skills.

I rode my bike to a nearby farm, and I picked fruit. I didn't make minimum wage because I couldn't pick fruit fast enough, because I didn't have the skills to do that when I was 13 years old, but I learned to show up on time with a good attitude. That is a valuable thing. That is where we start out.

That job wouldn't have been available if this minimum wage of $15, enacted from the Federal level, would have forced that employer to make a choice whether they hired me or hired somebody else. I didn't want to make the minimum wage. I wanted to make the maximum wage, but I had to have some skills.

The next job I got still wasn't minimum wage, but I worked hard. Now, I had the skill of showing up on time with a good attitude. I kept on doing better and better and better for myself because the jobs were available.

Mr. Speaker, if this legislation is enacted, young people and people at the bottom of the economic spectrum that we are trying to help are not going to have that opportunity. That is what this is really about in America, having opportunity.

A minimum wage requirement from the Federal level doesn't draw any distinctions between Los Angeles and Gratz, Pennsylvania, a great little town that I am privileged to represent. It doesn't draw a distinction between Chicago or Shiremanstown. It says they all have to do the same thing. Dover or New York, all the same wage, really.

I don't have tall skyscrapers in central Pennsylvania like they do in New York City, Chicago, and L.A., but I have hardworking people who want the opportunity that is provided by the market.

There are 7.5 million jobs open right now. The market is providing the wages to incentivize people to come to them, and they have an opportunity to go to another job and make even more under the free market.

The Federal Government is going to stifle that with this $15 an hour minimum wage.

Mr. Speaker, I urge us not to vote for this bill.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleague that his vote against this bill is a vote to deny about 35 percent of the workers in his district in Pennsylvania an average raise of about

$3,200 a year.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania

(Ms. Wild), a distinguished member of the Committee on Education and Labor.

Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, there should not be anybody in this room arguing that $7.25 an hour is sufficient for a worker's well-being. When adjusted for inflation, $7.25 is less than the Federal minimum wage of 50 years ago.

I support this bill because 98,000 workers in my district in Pennsylvania deserve a long-overdue raise. We are now in the midst of the longest period of time without an increase to the Federal minimum wage.

I support this bill because, while corporations are making record profits off the backs of workers, wage stagnation and increased cost of living have bankrupted hardworking families across my district.

This bill would increase the minimum wage gradually.

This is not a ``bad for business'' piece of legislation, as my colleagues across the aisle allege. It is a ``good for everyone'' bill that puts more money into our workers' pockets.

Our colleagues of the past would be baffled by the opposition to this bill.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania.

Ms. WILD. The Federal Labor Standards Act was passed in 1938 for the explicit purpose of protecting workers from substandard wages. That landmark bill passed the House by a vote of 291-89.

By the letter of that law, the minimum standard of living necessary for a worker's well-being is in Congress' hands. Members of both parties chose not to leave it up to market forces because poverty-level wages, sweatshops, and poor working conditions should not happen in the United States of America in 1938 or in 2019.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Wright).

Mr. WRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act, or, as it should be called, the Raising Unemployment for American Workers Act.

I was disappointed to hear that Democratic members on the Rules Committee failed to make my amendment in order. The amendment prohibited H.R. 582 from going into effect if the Government Accountability Office found that over 500,000 jobs would be lost to automation as a direct result of this legislation, a very reasonable amendment.

This amendment was intended to make sure that, in seeking to improve economic outcomes for workers, especially lower-wage and lesser-skilled workers, we don't adopt policies that have the opposite effect.

This radical legislation would more than double the Federal minimum wage, the largest-ever increase since its creation. The recent Congressional Budget Office report on this bill paints a bleak picture of the consequences if it ever becomes law.

When fully implemented, this legislation would result in as many as 3.7 million, almost 270,000 from the State of Texas, jobs lost. Across the country, total real family income would drop by $9 billion.

At a time when the economy is expanding, wages are rising above inflation, and unemployment is the lowest it has been in decades, we should not be considering job-killing, income-reducing legislation.

The negative impacts of such a disastrous bill would be felt in high-

income urban areas, but they would be even more severe in lower income rural areas. The economic conditions of Navarro County, Texas, in my district, where the median income is $45,000 a year, are not the same as San Francisco, where the median income is more than double that. A federally mandated doubling of the minimum wage would burden these people and businesses, forcing them to cut hours, let employees go, and close business doors.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. WRIGHT. My colleagues across the aisle like to point to the number of people who will be lifted out of poverty but consistently fail to acknowledge that the same number of Americans are expected to lose their jobs. It seems to me that this bill is a sweet deal, but only if you get to keep your job.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is left on both sides.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Virginia has 10\1/2\ minutes remaining. The gentlewoman from North Carolina has 2\1/2\ minutes remaining.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleague from Texas that a vote against this bill is a vote to deny about 30 percent of the workers in his district in Texas an average raise of about $3,800 a year.

I also will point out that the same CBO report that he cited cites the three most recent studies showing the number of jobs will actually go up as a direct result of the passage of this bill, and 27 million people are getting a raise.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts

(Mrs. Trahan), a distinguished member of the Committee on Education and Labor.

Mrs. TRAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from women's community groups in support of this legislation.

July 15, 2019.Pass the Raise the Wage Act

Dear Members of Congress: As members of a broad coalition of organizations that promote economic security and equity for women, we strongly urge you to pass the Raise the Wage Act as a top priority of the 116th Congress.

The Raise the Wage Act will raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2024, then index the minimum wage so that it continues to rise along with wages overall. It will also end unfair exclusions for tipped workers, people with disabilities, and youth so that they, too, can benefit from a decent minimum wage.

Women across the country--especially women of color--continue to experience a pay gap and a higher risk of poverty than men. Women working full time, year round typically make only 80 percent of what their male counterparts make, leaving a wage gap of 20 cents on the dollar. This wage gap varies by race and is larger for women of color: Black women working full time, year round typically make only 61 cents, Native women only 58 cents, and Latinas only 53 cents, for every dollar paid to their white, non-Hispanic male counterparts. While Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women make 85 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men, many AAPI communities experience drastically wider pay gaps.

Women's overrepresentation in low-wage jobs is a driving force behind the gender pay gap. Women are close to two-thirds of the workforce in jobs that pay the minimum wage or just a few dollars above it, as well as two-thirds of workers in tipped jobs. Women of color are particularly overrepresented among tipped workers and other low-wage workers. They are particularly harmed by the $7.25 federal minimum wage that has not gone up in a decade and by the

$2.13 tipped minimum cash wage that has been frozen for an astonishing 28 years.

Poverty-level wages heighten women's economic vulnerability, which in turn heightens their vulnerability to sexual harassment on the job. Women who rely on tips to survive often feel compelled to tolerate inappropriate behavior from customers so as not to jeopardize their income and employers are often unwilling to protect their employees for fear of upsetting a paying customer. Women's lack of economic power in these workplaces perpetuates the already pervasive culture of sexual harassment in industries that employ large numbers of tipped workers.

The Raise the Wage Act is critically needed to advance women's economic security and dignity in the workplace. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2024 would give nearly one in three working women a raise, including 41 percent of Black working women, 38 percent of working Latinas, 29 percent of white working women, and 18 percent of Asian working women.

Women and people of color have been left behind by our economy and our policies far too often, for far too long. Adopting the Raise the Wage Act would mark a crucial step toward ensuring they can work with equity, dignity, and safety. There is no more fitting way to begin this historic Congress than by making real, concrete progress in ensuring all women receive adequate pay.

We urge you to prioritize the Raise the Wage Act in the 116th Congress by swiftly passing this legislation.

Sincerely,

9to5, National Association of Working Women; 9to5 Georgia; A Better Balance; Abortion Access Front; ACCESS; African American Health Alliance; All-Options; Amara Legal Center; American Association of University Women (AAUW); American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees

(AFSCME).

American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO; AFT Local 1766

(Union of Rutgers Administrators); American Medical Student Association; American Psychological Association; Americans for Democratic Action (ADA); Arizona Coalition to End Sexual

& Domestic Violence; Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO; Black Women's Roundtable; MS Black Women's Roundtable; Bucks County Women's Advocacy Coalition.

California Child Care Resource & Referral Network; Cambridge Committee to Raise the Minimum Wage; Caring Across Generations; Center for American Progress; Center for Frontline Retail; Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); Center for Popular Democracy; Chelsea Collaborative; Citizen Action of New York; Clearinghouse on Women's Issues.

Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW); California Capital Chapter, CLUW; Capital Area Chapter, CLUW; Chesapeake Bay Chapter, CLUW; Chicago Chapter, CLUW; Cleveland Chapter, CLUW; Florida Chapter, CLUW; Genesee County Chapter, CLUW; Grand Prairie Arlington Chapter, CLUW; Greater Kansas City Chapter, CLUW.

Greater New Jersey Chapter, CLUW; Greater Oklahoma City Chapter, CLUW; Houston Chapter, CLUW; Kate Mullany Chapter, CLUW; King County Chapter, CLUW; Lorain County Chapter, CLUW; Los Angeles Chapter, CLUW; Metro-Detroit Chapter, CLUW; Metropolitan District of Columbia Chapter, CLUW; Missouri Chapter, CLUW.

Northeast Cleveland Chapter, CLUW; Pennsylvania State Chapter, CLUW ; Philadelphia Chapter, CLUW; Rhode Island Chapter, CLUW; San Diego Chapter, CLUW; San Francisco Chapter, CLUW; Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter, CLUW; St. Louis Chapter, CLUW; Western New York Chapter, CLUW; Western Virginia Chapter, CLUW.

Coalition on Human Needs; Color of Change; Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF); Criminalization of Poverty Project at the Institute for Policy Studies; Day One; Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment & Appeals Project; Economic Opportunity Institute; Empire Justice Center; Equal Rights Advocates; Equality North Carolina.

Equality Ohio; Fair World Project; Federally Employed Women; Feminist Majority Foundation; Food Chain Workers Alliance; Forward Together; Found Objects Transformed; Friends Committee on National Legislation; Futures Without Violence; Gender Justice.

Health Care for America Now; If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice; Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault; In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda; Innovation Ohio Education Fund; Institute for Women's Policy Research; Interfaith Worker Justice; Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action; Jewish Women International; Jobs With Justice; Jobs With Justice, Cleveland; Jobs With Justice, St Joseph Valley Project.

Justice for Migrant Women; Kentucky Equal Justice Center; Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA); Las Hermanas USA; Laundry Workers Center; Legal Momentum, The Women's Legal Defense and Education Fund; Maine Women's Lobby; Massachusetts Voter Table; Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers Organization (MASH); Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

MNCASA; Moms Demand Action, Triad North Carolina; MomsRising; NAACP; NARAL Pro-Choice, North Carolina; National Alliance to End Sexual Violence; National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF); National Association of Social Workers, Massachusetts Chapter; National Center for Lesbian Rights; National Coalition for the Homeless.

National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Central Ohio Chapter; National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Queen City Metropolitan Chapter; National Committee on Pay Equity; National Council of Jewish Women; National Council of Jewish Women, Arizona; National Council of Jewish Women, Greater New Orleans; National Council of Jewish Women, Pennsylvania; National Domestic Workers Alliance; National Employment Law Project; National Employment Lawyers Association.

National Immigration Law Center; National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH); National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund; National Network of Abortion Funds; National Organization for Women (NOW); NOW, Louisiana; NOW, North Carolina; NOW, Raleigh; NOW, Southwest Pennsylvania; NOW, Triad North Carolina.

National Partnership for Women & Families; National Women's Law Center; National Women's Health Network; NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence; New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs; New Voices for Reproductive Justice; New York Union Child Care Coalition; North Carolina State AFL-CIO; North Carolina Women United.

Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health; Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence; Ohio Domestic Violence Network; Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice; Oklahoma Women's Coalition; Organization United for Respect; Oxfam America; Path Ways PA; Pennsylvania NOW; People For the American Way.

PHENOM (Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts); Physicians for Reproductive Health; PL+US: Paid Leave for the United States; PowHer New York; Project IRENE; Public Justice Center; PWN-USA; Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Coalition; Restaurant Opportunities Centers United; Restaurant Opportunities Center, Pennsylvania.

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS); Shriver Center on Poverty Law; Solace Crisis Treatment Center; Tennessee Valley Coalition to End Homelessness; Tewa Women United; The Women's Law Center of Maryland; Union for Reform Judaism; Unitarian Universalist Mass Action Network; United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries; United for A Fair Economy.

United Democratic Women of MD, Inc.; URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity; V.I. Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Council; Valencia Shelter Services; Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; Voices for Progress; Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs; Washington State Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs; West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy; Western Center on Law and Poverty.

Women & Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania; Women Employed; Women Lawyers of Sacramento; Women of Reform Judaism; Women's Law Project; Women's Rights and Empowerment Network; Women's Medical Fund, Pennsylvania; WomenRising, Inc.; Working Washington/Fair Work Center; Workplace Fairness.

WV FREE; Yellowhammer Fund; YWCA USA; YWCA, Dayton; ZERO TO THREE.

{time} 1030

Mrs. TRAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to give more than 33 million deserving Americans a raise by voting for the Raise the Wage Act.

I want to commend Chairman Scott and his staff for their outstanding work to get us to this point.

The current Federal minimum wage rate hasn't budged in a decade, but basic costs have, and they have dramatically. It is an affront to basic fairness and an intolerable conditions for families working hard yet falling further and further behind.

They live on a razor's edge facing impossible choices:

Paying the rent or the car;

Buying diapers and formula for their children or medication for themselves;

Cutting a check for a student loan debt payment or a doctor's visit.

Today, a single mother with two children working full-time at $7.25 an hour is living well below the Federal poverty line. We can fix that by voting to give her a raise.

Let's do the same for the rest of America by passing the Raise the Wage Act. It is long overdue.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), the chair of the Committee on Small Business.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I am from New York, and I rise in support of the Raise the Wage Act of 2019 for workers in my district and workers everywhere, particularly rural America.

The Raise the Wage Act is a long overdue minimum wage increase that will lift wages for millions of Americans and boost the small business economy.

Today, under the current minimum wage of just $7.25 per hour, American workers and their families are living on the margins. They spend nights at the dinner table having to decide whether to pay for their child's school trip or groceries for the week.

If we are to build a better economy for all Americans, we must ensure that our workers can make a good living and have a good life.

Poll after poll shows that small business owners support raising the minimum wage. This is because doing so has been proven to help small firms better retain employees who, in turn, are more productive and higher performing.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a sign-on statement from Business for a Fair Minimum Wage.

Business for a Fair Minimum Wage Federal $15 Sign On Statement

As business owners and executives, we support gradually raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2024. It's good for business, good for customers and good for our economy.

Workers are also customers. Today's $7.25 minimum wage--just $15,080 a year for full-time workers--doesn't even cover the basics. Raising the minimum wage puts money in the pockets of people who most need to spend it, increasing sales at businesses and boosting the economy.

Raising the minimum wage makes good business sense. Low pay typically means high turnover. Raising the minimum wage pays off in lower employee turnover, reduced hiring and training costs, lower error rates, increased productivity and better customer service. Employees often make the difference between repeat customers or lost customers.

Raising the minimum wage is smart policy. It will reduce the strain on the safety net caused by wages that people can't live on. It will help level the playing field for businesses and strengthen the consumer spending businesses depend on to thrive.

About 1,000 Signers and Counting as of July 17, 2019

Holly Sklar, CEO, Business for a Fair Minimum Wage; Jen Landry, Owner, Steller Botanical Health, Gustavus, AK; Phillip Austin, Owner, DJ Cabinetry Tuscaloosa, AL; Eddie Babies, Owner, Eddie B's Barber Shop Montgomery, AL; Varis Berry, Owner, New Beginning Barber & Style Montgomery, AL; Larry Bethune, Owner, Brenda's BBQ, Montgomery, AL; Joseph Bradley, Co-Owner, Sidekicks Sneaker Shop, Birmingham, AL; Tahera Broadnax, Owner, The Hair Day Birmingham, AL; David Brown, Owner, Manitou Supply, Birmingham, AL; Stephanie Brown, Owner, Hue Studio, Montgomery, AL; Dawn Cassizzi, Owner, Beacon Yoga, Birmingham, AL; Michael Crayton, Owner, MandE Suits, Montgomery, AL.

Robert Dean, Owner, Momma Goldberg's Deli, Homewood, AL; Adriane Dunson, Owner, Cora Bella LLC, Tuscaloosa, AL; Newman Evans, Owner, Newman's Classic Cuts, Birmingham, AL; Dan Hall, Owner, Queen City Cycles, Tuscaloosa, AL; Benita Hall, Owner, Shaebreezy Beauty Bar, Montgomery, AL; Carla Hamilton, Owner, Four Comers Gallery, Birmingham, AL; James Harris, President, Harvest Midwest, Birmingham, AL; Tim Hicks, Owner, Veteran Cuts Barber Shop, Montgomery, AL; Ashraf Hijaz, Owner, Beauty & Beyond, Montgomery, AL; Justin Holt, Owner, Dotson's Burger Spot, Tuscaloosa, AL; Jose lzaguarre, Owner, TechniGO, Tuscaloosa, AL; Nate Johnson, Owner, Teamwork Barber Shop, Selma, AL; Walter L Johnson Sr., Owner, Village East Shoe Center, Montgomery, AL; Raymond Josof, Owner, Five Points Hotdogs, Birmingham, AL; Melissa Kendrick, CEO, Sojourns, Birmingham, AL; Uluybell Khorsanov, Owner, Prof Alterations, Tuscaloosa, AL; Dr. Jerry Kirby, Owner, Kirby Chiropractic Clinic, Montgomery, AL; LaKeitha Knox, Owner, The Head Doctor, Tuscaloosa, AL; Nicholas Lewis, Owner, Tha Cutting Zone, Tuscaloosa, AL; Brandon MacDonald, Owner, MacDonald Insurance Group, Birmingham, AL; Alexis Martin, Owner, Lex Couture Boutique, Selma, AL; Charli Matthews, CEO, Empowering Brands, Tuscaloosa, AL; Marisa Mitchell, Owner, Swaddle, Birmingham, AL; Kenya Mitchell, Owner, SKT Hair Salon, Selina, AL; Byong Hyon Moon, Owner, Tuny Custom T-shirts, Montgomery, AL.

Naboo A. Obeird, Owner, Makano's Kabob Express, Birmingham, AL; Derrick Paoletto, Owner, The Record Stop, Montgomery, AL; Salisha Parker, Owner, This & That LLC, Selma, AL; Kirsten Perry, Owner, KD Bridal & Prom, Selma, AL; Brittney Powell, Owner, Kay Couture, Montgomery, AL; Jim Reed, Owner, Reed's Book Store, Birmingham, AL; Katie Rengers, Director and Vicar, The Abbey, Birmingham, AL; Juan Rivera, Owner, Rivera's Barber Shop, Northport, AL; Jim Robertson, Owner, Robertson's Health Food Center, Northport, AL; Betty Rollins, Owner, Cloverdale Laundry & Dry Cleaners, Montgomery, AL; Chris Roycroft, Owner, Olive Tree, Tuscaloosa, AL; Vanessa Sanders, Owner, Kut N Go, Montgomery, AL; Craig Shaw, Owner, True Story Brewing Co., Birmingham, AL.

William Sheppard, Owner, Sheppard's Pet Supply, Birmingham, AL; Muhammad Sikander, Owner, Shoe Times, Montgomery, AL; Mellissa Smith, Owner, Island Delight, Montgomery, AL; Jarrell Smith, Owner, Cutz & Budz, Montgomery, AL; Gregory Smitherman, Owner, Anatomy of Pi, Dora, AL; Justin Snipes, Owner, The Comic Strip, Tuscaloosa, AL; Casey Snipes, Owner, Trxi Vintage, Birmingham, AL; Mark Snyder, Owner, Mark's Joint Restaurant, Homewood, AL; Robby Spaeth, Owner, Capital City Tire & Auto Sales, Montgomery, AL; Curtis Starks, Co-owner, Train & Burn, Birmingham, AL; Cheri Stewart, Owner, Trim Tab Brewing, Birmingham, AL; Deon Trone, Owner, Deon's Style & Barber Shop, Tuscaloosa, AL; Deon Trone, Owner, Deon's Automotive, Tuscaloosa, AL; Teresa Vickrey, Owner, Natural Healing, Montgomery, AL; Johnny Weatherspoon, Owner, Style Connection Barber Shop, Tuscaloosa, AL; LaTesha Wells, Owner, Salon Ambience, Tuscaloosa, AL; Christie White, Owner, Arcadia Salon, Birmingham, AL; Tim Williamson, Owner, Carter Drug, Selma, AL; Kandice Wright, Owner, Hair by Kandice, Tuscaloosa, AL; Bradley Wyatt, Owner, Copper Top, Tuscaloosa, AL; Blake Ralston, Owner, Ralston Agency, Fort Smith, AR; Steve Svendson, Owner, Svendson Agency, Rogers, AR; Daniel Aguilera, Owner, 480 Barber Shop, Chandler, AZ; Janice Brian, Owner, Alley Cats Haircutting Salon, Flagstaff, AZ; Malcolm Bates, Owner, Rogue Antiques Retro and Vintage, Flagstaff, AZ.

Paula Beltran, Owner, V.I. Alterations & Tailoring, Mesa, AZ; Rita Burnette, Owner, Make-U-Mobile, Mesa, AZ; Eric Cady, Co-Owner, Chupacabra Taproom, Mesa, AZ; Francisco Carlos, Owner, Cabinets by Design, Phoenix, AZ; Cartiye Carter, Owner, 24K Hair Spa, Phoenix, AZ; Jorge Castillo, Co-Owner, The Gaming Zone, Tempe, AZ; Alison Chandler, Co-Owner, Noble Beast Pet Market, Phoenix, AZ; Abel Chavez, Owner, Chavez Barber Shop, Tempe, AZ; Shang Syun Chiu, Owner, Dealer Electronics, Mesa, AZ; Natalie Clark, Owner, AZ Lash Lady, Chandler, AZ; Kimberly Clarke, Owner, Solstice Intimates, Tempe, AZ; Mark Cosmas, Owner, iRun, Phoenix, AZ.

Phil Costa, Owner, Unique Pianos, Phoenix, AZ; Lauren Danuser, Owner, Local Nomad, Phoenix, AZ; Daniel DeHoyos, Owner, Fritz's Barbershop, Mesa, AZ; Eileen Fisher, Founder, EILEEN FISHER, Scottsdale, AZ; Alfredo Flores, Owner, Watch & Jewelry Repair, Tempe, AZ; Farrell Friedland, President, Professional Alternatives of Arizona, LLC, Scottsdale, AZ; Justin Fultz, Owner, Let Us Floor You, Inc, Chandler, AZ; Gina Galaviz, Co-Owner, Flag T Factory, Flagstaff, AZ; Kristin Garcia, Owner, Purge Love Peace Rage Room, Chandler, AZ; Brenda Hackman, Co-Owner, EmbroidMe, Phoenix, AZ; Tim Hackman, Co-Owner, EmbroidMe, Phoenix, AZ; Billy Halton, Co-Owner, Casa Grande Dry Cleaning, Casa Grande, AZ.

Eddie Hantas, Owner, Hummus Express, Tempe, AZ; Lamar Harris, Co-Owner, Get Sassy Beauty Supply, Chandler, AZ; Nicholas Harron, Owner, 1UPGames, Mesa, AZ; Fahima Hassan, Owner, Khyber Halal, Phoenix, AZ; Dionne Hauke, Owner, Ziggie's Music, Phoenix, AZ; Jason Hemann, Owner, Kitchen AZ, Chandler, AZ; Gabrielle Hopkins, Owner, Food Diva AZ, Chandler, AZ; Gabrielle Hopkins, Owner, Wild Elk Den, Chandler, AZ; Jeannette Housner, Owner, Dion's Le Wig Shoppe, Scottsdale, AZ; Skip Jones, Owner, Caveman Printing & Apparel, Mesa, AZ; Brad Keeling, Owner, Maroney's Cleaners & Laundry, Phoenix, AZ.

Brad Keeling, President, OrganiCare, Phoenix, AZ; Danyelle Kimbell, Owner, Just In Time Hair Design, Chandler, AZ; Anthony Kyhn, Owner, Salon Red Arcadia, Phoenix, AZ; Adele LaVoie, Owner, French Method Salon, Phoenix, AZ; Cenobio Lopez, Owner, Nancy's Jewelry and Clothing, Chandler, AZ; Alison Lueders, CEO, Great Green Content, Phoenix, AZ; David Luna, Owner, Luna's Hair & Barbershop, Mesa, AZ; Treasure Mandley, Owner, HairADize, Chandler, AZ; Nancy J. McCulla, Owner, Simply Delicious Catering & Cafe Daily Fare, Flagstaff, AZ; Edmundo Meraz, Co-Owner, Republica Empanada, Mesa, AZ; Scott Miner D.C., Owner, OMNI Chiropractic, Tempe, AZ; Kim Natori, Founder, Let's Begin Again, Phoenix, AZ; Maria Ortiz, Owner, La Nortenita, Flagstaff, AZ; Heather Phalan, Owner, All Awards Studio, Flagstaff, AZ; Meir Pinhkasov, Owner, Brooklyn'z Barbershop LLC, Phoenix, AZ; Turney Postlewait, Owner, Biff's Bagels' Flagstaff, AZ; Urban Quintero, Co-Owner, Quintero Jewelry, Chandler, AZ; Leo Ramirez, Co-Owner, Sa Morz Bakery, Casa Grande, AZ;Alma Reyes, Owner, Isela's Beauty Salon, Chandler, AZ; Dianne Ripplinger, Owner, Di's Hair & Nail Salon, Mesa, AZ; Laurel Roach, Owner, Trifit Wellness, Phoenix, AZ; John Rooney, Co-Owner, Adventures in Stained Glass, Casa Grande, AZ; Michael Roviello, Owner, Andromeda LLC, Phoenix, AZ; Sergio Sanchez, Owner, Crates Records, Phoenix, AZ; Michael Spangenberg, Owner, State Forty Eight, Chandler, AZ; Wayne B. Taylor, President, Taylor's Flooring, Mesa, AZ.

Bob Thomas, Owner, Bob's Tropical Inc., Phoenix, AZ; Chris Thomas, Owner, Universal Cuts & Design, Mesa, AZ; Paul Torok, CEO, PS YES LLC, Phoenix, AZ; Harold Torres, President, Hair 2 Day, Tempe, AZ; Pete Turner, Owner, Illegal Pete's Restaurants, Tucson, AZ; Alvaro Valentin, Owner, Fresh As Can

``V'', Chandler, AZ; Dan Vasquez, Owner, Dapper Dan's Barber Shop, Scottsdale, AZ; Dustin Venekamp, Owner, Altig-Venekamp Agency, Phoenix, AZ; Marie Verdugo, Owner, NuYou Life Center, Phoenix, AZ; Jamie Warner, Co-Owner, Yellow Jacket Comics LLC, Tempe, AZ; Brittany Weir, Owner, The Mad Bird, Phoenix, AZ; Paul Williams, Owner/Chef, Smoke Dem Bones BBQ, Phoenix, AZ.

Maury Williamson, Owner, The Country Clipper Barbershop, Chandler, AZ; Natasha Winnik, Owner, Originate Natural Building Materials Showroom, Tucson, AZ; Carolyn Young, Owner, West of the Moon Jewelry & Art, Flagstaff, AZ; Annette Zepeda, Co-Owner, Hair Deco, Phoenix, AZ; Feliciano Zizzo, Owner, Zizzo Tailoring, Scottsdale, AZ; Ruksana Azhu Valappil, Founder and CEO, NEEV, San Jose, CA; Brenda Balanda, Owner/Broker, Marin Sunshine Realty, Point Reyes Station, CA; Kae Bender, Founder, SocioEnergetics Foundation, Lancaster, CA; Neil Blomquist, Managing Director, Natural Habitats USA Inc., Richmond, CA; Neil Blomquist, Owner, Sustainable Solutions Consulting, Sebastopol, CA; David Bronner, CEO, Dr. Bronner's, Vista, CA; Rinaldo Brutoco, Founding President & CEO, World Business Academy, Santa Barbara, CA; Sattie Clark, Owner, Eleek Incorporated, Redwood Valley, CA; Eric Cohen, Owner, Justice Grace Vineyards, Sonoma, CA.

Thomas Cook, Attorney, Thomas Cook Intellectual Property Attorneys, Sausalito, CA; Fred Dew, Professional Engineer, Consultancy, Altadena, CA; Desi Dimitrova, Owner, Dimitrova Agency, San Dimas, CA; Jerome Dodson, President, Pamassus Investments, San Francisco, CA; Eric Edelson, CEO, Fireday Tile, San Francisco, CA; Mika Endo, Operations Manager, Mafia Bags, San Francisco, CA; Malia Everette, CEO, Altruvistas, Richmond, CA; Monica Farbiarz, CEO, Encanto Jewels, Grass Valley, CA; Deborah Frangquist, Owner, Chosen Futures, San Francisco, CA; Jim Frazin, Principal, Financial Planner, Communitas Financial Planning Inc., San Francisco, CA; Gary Gerber, CEO, Sun Light & Power, Berkeley, CA; Michael Hannigan, CEO, Community Benefit Corporation, Berkeley, CA.

Janie Hoffman, CEO & Founder, Mamma Chia, Carlsbad, CA; Kip Howard, Former CEO (retired), Navis LLC, Larkspur, CA; Ari Isaak, Owner, Evan GIS Consulting, San Diego, CA; Donald M. Johnson, Retired, Architect, Ventura, CA; Bakari Kafele, Owner, BioDiesel Hauling, San Pablo, CA. Steve Kaye, Owner, Steve Kaye Photo, Placentia, CA; Dr. Mha Atma S Khalsa, Owner, Khalsa Chiropractic, Los Angeles, CA; Martin Kruger, COO, Follow Your Heart (Earth Island), Chatsworth, CA; Carolyn McMaster, CEO, Thinkshift Communications, San Francisco, CA; Carolina Miranda, Founder and CEO, Cultivating Capital, Richmond, CA; Virginia Morrison, President, Collaboration Specialists, San Anselmo, CA; Allan Moskowitz, Owner, Transformative Wealth Management, El Cerrito, CA.

Erin Musgrave, Principal, EMC Strategies, Santa Cruz, CA; Mark Nelson, Owner, Renaissance Remodelers, San Anselmo, CA; S. Ostertag, Co-Owner, GLYDE America, Los Angeles, CA; Jennifer Piette, Founder, CEO, Narrative Food, Chatsworth, CA; Dylan Pollard, Partner, PollardBailey, Beverly Hills, CA; Ben Rosenthal, Owner, Sustainable Computing, Berkeley, CA; Frank Scarpaci, President, VIANOVA, San Diego, CA; John Schmidt, Director, Quiksilver, Huntington Beach, CA; Leslie Sheridan, President, The Added Edge, Clearlake, CA; Michelle Stevens, Founder & CEO, The Refill Shoppe, Ventura, CA; Donald Taylor, President, Continental-Pacific Lumber, Gold River, CA; Alan Thiesen, Vice-President, Digital Research (retired), Nevada City, CA; Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, President and CEO, Earth Friendly Products (Makers of ECOS), Cypress, CA; Esther Wagner, CFO, Excellent Packaging & Supply, Richmond, CA.

James Weil, CEO, Weil Aquatronics, Inc, Norwalk, CA; Robynne Winchester, Owner, Revelation in Fit, Oakland, CA; George Yenoki, Owner, Hackberry solutions, Monrovia, CA; Ben C. Alexander, Certified General Appraiser, Ben C. Alexander Appraisers, Byers, CO; Carlos Alvarez-Aranyos, Managing Partner, Boulder Transport, Boulder, CO; Bryan Birsic, CEO, Wunder Capital, Boulder, CO; Richard Correa, Owner, Richard Correa Agencies, Aurora, CO; Jenny Davies, Owner, Progressive Promotions, Denver, CO; Matthew Elliott, Partner, Super Humane, Denver, CO; Jeffrey Fierberg, CEO, Sora Digital, Denver, CO; Kathleen Furr, Owner, eXtraOrdinary Gift Company, Denver, CO; Toby Gadd, President, Nuance Chocolate, Fort Collins, CO; Kyle Garner, CEO, Organic India USA, Boulder, CO.

Chris Graves, Owner, Bardo Coffee House, Denver, CO; Sharon Hwang, Owner, The Wellness Center, Glendale, CO; Heather Jernberg, Partner, Boreas Group, Denver, CO; John Kuebler, Owner, Kilgore Books, Denver, CO; Jason Kuri, Founder, Ionzero LLC, Fort Collins, CO; Craig Lamberty, Owner, Conscious Coffees, Boulder, CO; Blake Manion, Founder, Soul Salve, Denver, CO; Stacey Marcellus, Co-Founder & CEO, Cappello's, Denver, CO; Alicia Marsicovetere, Owner, Renew Massage Studio LLC, Wheat Ridge, CO; Marilyn Megenity, Owner, Mercury Cafe, Denver, CO; Allison Parks, Owner/Managing Broker, Conscious Real Estate, Denver, CO; Chad Schubert, Director, Business Development, Pivot Energy, Denver, CO; Julie Tasche, Director of Community and Culture, Illegal Pete's, Inc., Denver, CO; Pete Turner, Founder/President, Illegal Pete's Restaurants, Denver, CO; Marie Venner, Owner and CEO, Venner Consulting, Lakewood, CO; Samuel Weaver, CEO, Cool Energy, Boulder, CO; Joshua Angelus, Owner, Self-employed, Waterbury, CT; Jonell Carr, Business Manager, Exquisite Contractors, Bridgeport, CT.

Nikki Colodny, Owner, Medical Practice, Guilford, CT; Jenifer Gorin, Founder, Impact Growth Partners, Westport, CT; Walter Greissle, Accountant, CPA, Stamford, CT; William Potvin, Owner, Hosmer Mountain Bottling Co., Willimantic, CT; Nancy Ruzow, Design Director, Ruzow Graphics Inc, Westport, CT; Margot Dorfman, CEO, U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce, Washington, DC; Mike Englert, President, Eighty2degrees Design Studio, Washington, DC; Jeffrey Hollender, CEO, American Sustainable Business Council, Washington, DC; Pennye Jones-Napier, Owner & CEO, BBWoof Inc., Washington, DC; Michael Lastoria, Founder and CEO, &pizza, Washington, DC; Gloria Nauden, CMO, City First Bank, Washington, DC; Thomas Oppel, Executive Vice President, American Sustainable Business Council, Washington, DC; Michael Peck, Founder, MAPA Group, Washington, DC; Gina Schaefer, Owner, Logan, Glover Park, Frager's, Tenleytown, other Ace Hardware stores, Washington, DC; Aaron Seyedian, Owner, Well-Paid Maids, Washington, DC; Andy Shallal, Owner, Busboys & Poets Restaurants, Washington, DC.

Fran Teplitz, Executive Co-Director for Business, Investing

& Policy, Green America's Green Business Network, Washington, DC; Troy Toliver, Owner, We Buy Houses Nationwide USA, Washington, DC; Daniel Turner, President, TCG, Washington, DC; Dr. Kimberly Grimes, Co-Owner, Made by Hand International, South Bethany, DE; Gabriel Feldmann, Owner, The Feldmann Agency, Pensacola, FL; Matt Henderson, Owner, Henderson Agency, Orlando, FL; Orlando Heras, President, The Royal Gourmet Co., Hollywood, FL; Karen Joslin, Creatrix, Karen Joslin, Tallahassee, FL; Michelle Martinez, Owner, Williams-Martinez Agency, Miami Lakes, FL; KathySue McGuire, Principal, 3 Pillar Solutions, Jupiter, FL; MaryAnn Nelson, Owner, GQ Solutions, LLC, Jacksonville, FL; Joel Pollock, Co-Owner, Panther Coffee Roasters, Miami, FL; Natalie Albright, Owner, RSVP Prom and Pageant, Johns Creek, GA; Toula Argentis, Owner, 2BWhole Gluten Free Bakery, Alpharetta, GA; Lisa Bobb, Owner, Squash Blossom Boutique, Decatur, GA; Kizuwanda Boyd, Owner, Dreams Beauty Experience, Atlanta, GA; Brian Brock, Managing Partner, Antwerp Diamonds, Roswell, GA; Douglas Burks, CEO, Burks Jewelers, Atlanta, GA; Rand Cabus, Owner, Mojo Vinyl Records, Roswell, GA.

Kal Cauthen, Owner, KC Groomer & Beauty Bar, Alpharetta, GA; Bruce Champeau, President and COO, Room & Board, Atlanta, GA; Randall Cook, Owner, Cook Agency, Buford, GA; Belon Durham, Owner, B Lashfull, Atlanta, GA; George Edward, Owner, The Hair Artists, Sandy Springs, GA; Rick Elibert, Owner/CEO, Positive Image Barber Shop, Chamblee, GA; Solera Foster, Owner, Solera's Salon, Sandy Springs, GA; Lola Foxx, Co-Owner, Foxx Original Jamaican Restaurant, Atlanta, GA; Phnewfula Frederiksen, Owner, Happy Mango, Atlanta, GA; Saba Gebrekiedan, Owner, Village Coffee Shop, Atlanta, GA; Brandy Hall, Founder, Shades of Green Permaculture Design, Decatur, GA; William Herman, Co-Owner, Raging Burrito, Decatur, GA; Warren Hudson, Owner, Decatur CD & Vinyl, Decatur, GA; Xavier Jarque, Owner, Xavier & Sons Auto Body & Paint, Alpharetta, GA; Ty Jenkins, Owner, Olive Branch Green Beauty, Decatur, GA; Kyle Johnson, Owner, Johnson Agency, Manetta, GA.

John Kang, Founder and General Manager, Salad Express, Roswell, GA; Sooill Kim, Owner, Donut Shack, Roswell, GA; Michael Knight, Owner, Kaboodle Home, Atlanta, GA; RuthE Levy, Owner, And Thou Shalt Read, Marietta, GA; RuthE Levy, Owner, Oy Toys, Roswell, GA; Godfrey Lewis, Owner, Avocado Vegan Cafe, Johns Creek, GA; Brandon Ley, Co-Owner, Georgia Beer Garden, Atlanta, GA; Brandon Ley, Co-Owner, Joystick Gamebar, Atlanta, GA; Celestino Loera, Owner, Mr. Tino's Ice Cream, Roswell, GA; Kathy Mai, Owner, K Hair Salon, Alpharetta, GA; Johnny Martinez, Co-Owner, Georgia Beer Garden, Atlanta, GA; Johnny Martinez, Co-Owner, Joystick Gamebar, Atlanta, GA; Juel McGhee, Owner, Closing Deals LLC, Atlanta, GA; Irene McGuire, Owner, Christian Print Shop, Johns Creek, GA; Michael Minga, Owner, Vivid Boutique Decatur, GA; Nataki Minix Owner, Star Taki Hair Lounge, Atlanta, GA.

Melissa Moore, Owner, Sq/Ft, Decatur, GA; Zalman Niktalov, Owner, North Point Upholstery, Roswell, GA; Jeffrey Oparnica, Owner, Sabbath Brewing, Atlanta, GA; Cliff Owens-Leech, Please Select, COL Agency, Stone Mountain, GA; Joseph Peta, Owner, Feather Baby, Decatur, GA; LaKesia Phelps, Owner, Anna's BBQ, Atlanta, GA; Al Rauf, Owner, Al's European Barber, Alpharetta, GA; Al Raye, Owner, Clay's Sports Cafe, Sandy Springs, GA; Robert Rhein, Owner, GBG Market, Atlanta, GA; Robert Rhein, Owner, The Square Pub, Decatur, GA; Joann Schwartz, Owner, Kirkwood Feed & Seed Pet Supply, Atlanta, GA; Joann Schwartz, Owner, Kirkwood Bark & Lounge, Atlanta, GA; Jason Shadix, Owner, Found Co., Decatur, GA; Sana Shah, Owner, Sana Beauty Salon, Johns Creek, GA; Lucius Simon, Owner, 1st Class Barber & Beauty Salon, Atlanta, GA; John Thompson, Owner, Clothes Horse Men's Apparel & Gifts, Alpharetta, GA; Lisa Turner, Co-Owner, Trinity Mercantile & Design, Decatur, GA; Alex Vershkov, Owner, Alex Auto, Roswell, GA; Lan Vu, Owner, Classic Tailor & Alterations, Roswell, GA; Debbie Wallace, CEO, 360 Health Broadcasting Network, Atlanta, GA; Debbie Wallace, CEO, A Full Taste Restaurant, Decatur, GA; Jamison Weatherspoon, Owner, Weatherspoon Agencies, Duluth, GA; Darryl Pellegrini, Owner, Music business, Aiea, HI; Mo Ajram, Owner, Kamal's Inc, Cedar Rapids, IA; Anthony Albizo, Owner, Flash Screen Printing & Embroidery, West Des Moines, IA; Steve Anderson, Owner, A-Kleen Sweep, West Des Moines, IA.

Dina Bachman, Owner, Five Monkeys Inc, Des Moines, IA; John Bartlett, Owner, i Work & Play, West Des Moines, IA; Mike Blanchard, Owner, The CORE Cedar Falls, IA; Michael Glenn Breitbach, Owner, The Food Store, Dubuque, IA; Beth Brown, Owner, Beth's Custom Cakes, Dubuque, IA; Jesus Castro, Owner, La Michoacana Mexican Groceries, West Des Moines, IA; Martavious ``Taye'' Clayton, Owner, House of Fades, Des Moines, IA; Mel Dameron, Owner, TwinFadez Barber Shop, Urbandale, IA; Rebecca Davidson, Owner, Dash Coffee Roasters, Iowa City, IA; Rebecca Davidson, Owner, Dash Coffee Roasters, Cedar Rapids, IA; Charla Davidson, President, Zebras on 5th, West Des Moines, IA; Jodi Deery, Owner, Jennifer's on Main, Cedar Falls, IA; David Deibler, Co-Owner, Octopus, Cedar Falls, IA; Darrell Delaney, Owner, House of Fades, Des Moines, IA.

Mike Draper, Owner, Raygun LLC, Des Moines, IA; Mike Draper, Owner, Raygun LLC, Cedar Rapids, IA; Ann Eastman, Owner, Miss Wonderful Vintage, Cedar Falls, IA; Kathy and Herb Eckhouse, Owners, La Quercia, Norwalk, IA; Christopher Ellis, Co-Owner & Managing Partner, Quarter Barrel Arcade & Brewery, Cedar Rapids, IA; Hart Epstein, Owner, Bluebird Diner, Iowa City, IA; Josh Garrett, Owner, Jett & Monkey's, Des Moines, IA; Robert Guthart, Owner, Bob's Guitars, Cedar Falls, IA; Lisa Haley, Owner, Ice Cream U Scream, Dubuque, IA; Kevin Hedley, Owner, Uncle Ike's Music, Dubuque, IA; Catherine Hickey, Owner, Memory Lane Antiques Gifts Collectibles, West Des Moines, IA; Suman Hoque, Owner, HOQ Restaurant, Des Moines, IA; Jacob Jenkins, Owner, Big Acai, West Des Moines, IA.

Chrissy Jensen, Owner, Domestics, Des Moines, IA; Kevin Jones, Owner, Subsect Skateshop, Des Moines, IA; Amber Keppler, Owner, Look @ You, Des Moines, IA; Jorene King, Owner, Wines of Iowa, West Des Moines, IA; Jay Kozel, Owner, Back Country, Des Moines, IA; Mike Kunzler, Co-Owner/Art Director, Kunzler Studios, West Des Moines, IA; Robert Larson, Owner, Record Collector, Iowa City, IA; Carol Lauber, Owner, Caboose Stop Hobbies, Cedar Falls, IA; Julie Lewerke, Owner, Metro Market, West Des Moines, IA; Joseph Logsdon, Owner, La Mie Bakery, Des Moines, IA; Nicole Lorenson, Owner, Preservation, Des Moines, IA; Keith Luter, Owner, Head 2 Toe Barbershop, Cedar Rapids, IA; Delaney Lynch, Owner, Bungalow, West Des Moines, IA; Allison Lyons, Owner, Rumors, Des Moines, IA; Adrian Maddox, Owner, Always Good Kutz LLC, Des Moines, IA; Ellen Martinson, Owner, Leona Ruby, Des Moines, IA; Ruth McDanel, Owner, Foxglove Chiropractic, West Des Moines, IA; Natalie Meester, Owner, Little Prairie Girl, Cedar Falls, IA.

Kristy Meyer, Co-Owner, Carol Ann Boutique & Body, Dubuque, IA; Nicole Myers, Owner, Polka Dots & Denim, Cedar Rapids, IA; Lacie Navin, Owner, Your CBD Store Valley Junction, West Des Moines, IA; Amber Neville, Owner, Willow & Stock, Iowa City, IA; Tony Nguyen, Owner, T-Tech, Des Moines, IA; Nate Niceswanger, Owner, ZZZ Records, Des Moines, IA; Michael Papich, President, Papich-Kuba Funeral Service, Cedar Rapids, IA; Joan Peiffer, Owner, Peiffer Paws Pet Grooming, Cedar Rapids, IA; Michael Price, Owner, Price Check Kicks, Cedar Falls, IA; Kathleen Rash, Owner and President, The Art Mission, Iowa City, IA; Tray Rochon, Owner, Blades Barbershop, Des Moines, IA; John Rohlf, Owner, Metro Records, Cedar Falls, IA; Sheila Sayre, Owner, She Home & Gift, Des Moines, IA; Barb Schilf, Owner, Mohair Pear, Cedar Falls, IA; Nate Sherwood, Owner, Eduskate, Cedar Rapids, IA; Bryan Smith, Owner, Blazing Saddle, Des Moines, IA; Andrew Snyder, Owner, Andy's Frame Shop, Des Moines, IA.

Kristin Solberg, Owner, Solberg's, Cedar Rapids, IA; Margeaux Spain, Owner, Margeaux Spain Wellness, Des Moines, IA; Glen Stillmunkes, Owner, Freddie's Popcorn Co., Dubuque, IA; Uzma Sultana, Owner, Gyro Hut, Cedar Rapids, IA; Anne Temple, Owner, Iowa Artisans Gallery, Iowa City, IA; Jennifer Veak, Owner, T-Shirt Graphix, Des Moines, IA; Victoria Veiock, Owner, Bing's, West Des Moines, IA; David Wetter, Owner, C & D Delivery LLC, Dubuque, IA; David Wetter, Owner, Tavern on the Main, Dubuque, IA; Dena Wright, Owner, Paula's Cafe, West Des Moines, IA; Stan Yoder, Owner, Stan's Barber Stylists, Iowa City, IA; ReShonda Young, Founder, Popcorn Heaven, Waterloo, IA; David Zaghloul, Owner/Chef, Chez Grace, Coralville, IA; Amanda Zeitner, Owner, Snowwhite Botanicals, Des Moines, IA; Scot McGavin, Co-Owner, Puentes Language Programs, Boise, ID; Bill Parks, President and Founder, NRS, Moscow, ID.

Kathy Stearns, Owner, Arc Advisers, Boise, ID; Ellen Anderson, President, Rally Insurance Group, Volo, IL; Chuck Blumenthal, Owner, Bean Products, Inc., Chicago, IL; David Borris, Owner and President, Hel's Kitchen Catering, Northbrook, IL; Nancy Brandt, Retired, Investor, Chicago, IL; James Brandt, Board Member, Ringspann Corp., Franklin Park, IL; Bruce Champeau, Presidnet and COO, Room & Board, Oak Brook, IL; Joyce Coffee, President, Climate Resilience Consulting, Chicago, IL; James Coleman, President, The Metro Group, Chicago, IL; Elizabeth Colon, President, Metaphrasis Language & Cultural Solutions, Chicago, IL; Mike Draper, Owner, Raygun LLC, Chicago, IL; Emily Farr, Owner, Farr & Farr, LLC, Chicago, IL.

Tim Frick, CEO, Mightybytes, Chicago, IL; Pamella Gronemeyer, M.D., Owner, SEMC Pathology, Highland, IL; Kate Jakubas, Founder, Meliora Cleaning Products, Chicago, IL; Michelle Knox, Founder/President, WindSolarUSA, Springfield, IL; Kevin Lampe, Co-Founder & Executive Vice President, Kurth Lampe Worldwide, Chicago, IL; Michael Londo, President, Just in Time Direction, Glen Ellyn, IL; Emily Lonigro, CEO, LimeRed, Chicago, IL; Thomas MacRoy, Owner, DuPage Psychological Associates, Naperville, IL; Sarah McGuire, Owner, Sarah McGuire Studio, Chicago, IL; Bob Olson, President and CEO, Olson Agencies, Lombard, IL; Scott Pfeiffer, Managing Partner, Threshold Acoustics, Downers Grove, IL; Michelle Sheldon, President, Eco Promotional Products, Vernon Hills, IL; Dimitri Syrkin-Nikolau, Owner, Dimo's Pizza, Chicago, IL.

Lauren Venell, Co-founder & CXO, Joone Creative, Inc., Chicago, IL; Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, President and CEO, Earth Friendly Products (Makers of ECOS), Addison, IL; Kelly Weinberger, Founder and Co-Owner, WorldFinds, Westmont, IL; James Cunningham, Owner, James Cunningham Agency, Indianapolis, IN; Gregg Keesling, President, RecycleForce, Indianapolis, IN; Deborah Pierce, Managing Partner, GoodMustGrow, Brownsburg, IN; Becky Reimbold, Owner, Just Goods, South Bend, IN; Yadrada Alvarez, Owner, Yady Beauty Salon, Mission, KS; Jon Amyx, Owner, Downtown Barber, Lawrence, KS; Carl Applequist, Owner, Carl's Salon, Overland Park, KS; Rashida Bonds, Owner, Beautiful Hair Parlor, Mission, KS; Brenda Clarke, Owner, The Hair House, Shawnee, KS; Mike Cole, Owner, The General Store, Overland Park, KS; Molly Crook, Owner, Essential Goods, Lawrence, KS; Kerry Doan, Owner, Bombshell Boutique, Mission, KS.

Ken Fleming, Owner, Ken's Swap-d-Shop, Olathe, KS; Marlon Ford, Owner, For's Barber Shop, Kansas City, KS; Kathy Gates, Owner, The Running Well Store, Mission, KS; Patricia H. Goodfriend, Owner, Teal Lotus, Overland Park, KS; Dave Grigsby, Owner, Parkwood Barber Shop, Kansas City, KS; Carmen Hinojos, Manager, Las Gorditas Mexican Restaurant, Kansas City, KS; Dustin Hothan, Owner, CBD of Lawrence, Lawrence, KS; Angelynn Howell, Owner, Anna's BLD Bistro, Kansas City, KS; Lewis Hurtt, Owner, Shoe Master, Fairway, KS; Ronell Jones, Owner, JC Barbershop; Shawnee, KS; Denise Kirk, Owner, Aunt Jean's, Shawnee, KS; Lane Lambert, Owner, 3 Wishes--Books, Art, Music, Merriam, KS; Sam Lloyd, Co-owner, Harbor Leaf Tea Company, Lawrence, KS.

Cole Maggart, Owner, Brothers Music, Mission, KS; Nicole Manriquez, Owner, Striped Cow, Lawrence, KS; Joey Mendez, Co-Owner, ULAH, Westwood, KS; Haile Michaels, Owner, Elsa's Ethiopian, Overland Park, KS; Marilyn O'Hearne, Owner, Marilyn Oh Executive & Team Coaching, Leawood, KS; William O'Rourke, Owner, Orange Cat Records, Lawrence, KS; Tracy Ochester, Owner, Ochester Psychological Services, LLC, Leawood, KS; Keyla Osuna, Manager, Osuna Bakery, Kansas City, KS; Dan Phillips, Owner, Vinyl Renaissance, Overland Park, KS; Ron Phillips, Shop Supervisor, Klemp Electric, Kansas City, KS; Darby Pool, Owner, Bikes for the Likes of Us, Olathe, KS; Jenny Pugh, Owner, Lulu's Boutique, Mission, KS; Jorge Ramos, Owner, Ramos Upholstery, Kansas City, KS; Daisy Rodriguez, Owner, Oregano & Thyme Market, Mission, KS; Amrik Sandhu, Manager, Black's Liquor, Kansas City, KS; Dave Seal, Owner, Framewoods, Lawrence, KS; Ben Stallings, Co-Owner, Interdependent Web, Emporia, KS.

Sherry Sullivan, Owner, Brian's Bakery, Mission, KS; Sara Thompson, President, Ceramic Cafe, Overland Park, KS; Tara Vandervalk, Owner, Radiance: Beautiful Skin, Overland Park, KS; Teresa Hendricks, Owner, Lucia's World Emporium, Lexington, KY; Camille Moran, Owner, Caramor Industries; 4 Seasons Christmas Tree and Plant Farm, Natchitoches, LA; Angela O'Byrne, Owner, Perez APC, New Orleans, LA; Mallory Whitfield, Owner, Malaprop LLC, New Orleans, LA; Janet Axelrod, Owner, Wealth Matters, Cambridge, MA; Robert Baker, President, Key Polymer Corp., Lawrence, MA; Ann Baker, Owner, On Camera Commercial Coaching, Wayland, MA; Jessie Banhazl, CEO & Founder, Green City Growers, Somerville, MA; Phil Bannatyne, Owner, Cambridge Brewing Company, Cambridge, MA; Ted Barber, Founder, Prosperity Candle, Easthampton, MA; Jeff Barry, President, Boston Organics, Charlestown, MA; Sam Barstow, President & COO, Forsake, Boston, MA; Paul Benoit, Co-Owner, Box Save, Arlington, MA; Andrew Bonfiglio, Co-Founder, Emzingo, Somerville, MA.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, take it from the words of Rebecca Hamilton, CEO of Badger Balm, a small cosmetic company in New Hampshire. She said: ``Paying a living wage is a core part of our culture and has helped us hire and retain excellent staff even in a time when other businesses have struggled.''

We have heard businesses that started out small, such as the popular restaurant &pizza, that attribute their fast-growing success to their practice of paying fair wages while maintaining competitive prices.

Small companies make up 99 percent of U.S. employers, and nearly 70 percent of our economic activity comes from consumer spending.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from New York.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, by raising the minimum wage, we can help put money back into consumers' pockets, injecting new life into our Main Street and our economy.

I ask everyone to support this important bill.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues from Georgia said, the Democrats want to make the American people think that they, as agents of the Federal Government, are giving them something by raising this minimum wage. That is not true.

Small businesses, families, workers, and the economy at large will all suffer debilitating loss if this bill is passed. Forcing our Nation's job creators to raise the minimum wage arbitrarily around the country by 107 percent will hurt the very people this ill-advised legislation is alleged to help.

The case studies from States and localities with large minimum wage hikes are clear and have shown that workers and employers are punished by these risky schemes.

Apparently, House Democrats have missed the fact that wages are already on the rise. With unemployment near a 50-year low, the competition for employees is driving wages up.

Instead of stifling our booming economy by forcing employers to implement a crippling, mandated wage hike, we should advance legislation that empowers communities, creates opportunities, and opens doors for workers.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, let's be clear. Since Franklin Roosevelt, the Federal Government has been increasing the Federal wage.

Don't let them get away with this hogwash about what we do and what we don't do here.

Wages for the top 1 percent have grown 150 percent since 1979.

Wages for middle-class families and working families have stagnated. Their wages do not keep up with the skyrocketing costs of healthcare, prescription drugs, childcare, housing, and a college education.

This is the single biggest economic challenge of our time. So, today, full-time, year-round work at the Federal minimum wage of $7.25 leaves a family of three below the Federal poverty line. It is unacceptable, because working people have more than earned a raise.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, if the minimum wage increased equal to the increases in workers' productivity, it would be more than $20 an hour.

Congress needs to make this right. Clearly, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle do not respect the work of 34 million Americans. They don't respect the dignity of the work that these folks do.

It is our job. Let us pass the Raise the Minimum Wage Act. Working people are doing their jobs. Let us do ours.

I include in the Record a letter from the AFT, the American Federation of Teachers.

American Federation of Teachers,

Washington, DC, July 17, 2019.Hon. Robert ``Bobby'' Scott,House of Representatives,Washington, DC.

Dear Rep. Scott: On behalf of the 1.7 million members of the American Federation of Teachers, I thank you for introducing the Raise the Wage Act of 2019 (H.R. 582). By raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 per hour by 2024, H.R. 582 would empower millions of struggling Americans to make ends meet and support their families.

The federal minimum wage was last raised to $7.25 per hour in 2009, and, over the past decade, the cost of living has increased at a pace that significantly exceeds the average earnings of a minimum wage worker. Raising the wage is a matter of economic and social justice because a $15 minimum wage would lift millions out of poverty, help close the racial and gender wage gaps, and help reverse decades of growing pay inequality.

The Economic Policy Institute estimates that increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2024 would give more than 1 in 3 working women a raise, including 43 percent of African American working women, 38 percent of working Latinas, 32 percent of white working women, and 20 percent of Asian and Pacific Islander working women.

Of particular note for the AFT, our research tells us that one-fifth of educators and one-fourth of healthcare workers would get a raise under H.R. 582--including but not limited to preschool teachers, who on average earn $13.84 per hour; substitute teachers, who average $13.47 per hour; child care workers, who earn an average of $10.18 per hour; and home healthcare workers, who on average receive $10.87 per hour. With higher wages, more Americans would be better able to afford food, clothing, housing and other necessities, which, in turn, would support local businesses and economic growth.

Too many hardworking families in the United States are being forced to depend on poverty-level wages. Congress can help strengthen our economy and lift families out of poverty by raising the federal minimum wage.

Thank you for your introduction of H.R. 582.

Sincerely,

Randi Weingarten,

President.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank Chairman Scott for yielding and for his tireless, incredible, and brilliant leadership.

I include in the Record a letter from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights expressing their strong support for H.R. 582.

The Leadership Conference

on Civil and Human Rights,

Washington, DC, July 15, 2019.

Vote Recommendation: Support the Raise the Wage Act of 2019

Dear Representative: On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States, we write to express our strong support for the Raise the Wage Act of 2019 (H.R. 582). This important legislation would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to

$15 an hour by 2025, index it to median federal wages, and ensure that all tipped workers, working people with disabilities, and young people get paid at least the full minimum wage. Passage of the Raise the Wage Act is a top legislative priority of our coalition. We urge you to vote YES on final passage of a clean bill and NO on any Motion to Recommit (MTR) in connection with this legislation. The Leadership Conference will score both of these votes in our voting record for the 116th Congress.

At the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, one of the founders of The Leadership Conference, Black labor leader A. Philip Randolph, noted, ``Nor is the goal of our civil rights revolution merely the passage of civil rights legislation. Yes, we want all public accommodations open to all citizens, but those accommodations will mean little to those who cannot afford to use them.''

This week, the House of Representatives has the opportunity to champion working people by passing the Raise the Wage Act of 2019. In February 2019, I testified at a hearing held by the U.S. House Committee on Education & Labor entitled

``Gradually Raising the Minimum Wage to $15: Good for Workers, Good for Businesses, and Good for the Economy.'' What I said then remains true today: low-wage working people are overdue for a raise. For decades, wages for most people in America have stagnated while productivity has increased. This has been particularly true for low-wage earners. Congress has not raised the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour since 2007. And the tipped minimum wage has been stuck at $2.13 an hour since 1991.

Raising the federal minimum wage is a racial and gender justice issue. The National Women's Law Center has noted that women make up nearly two-thirds of those earning the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Women of color are more likely than any other group to be paid the lowest wages.

Paying tipped workers the full minimum wage would rectify longstanding injustices and ensure that no one works for pennies in America. The subminimum wage that tipped workers receive is rooted in the history of slavery. The practice of tipping proliferated in the United States after the Civil War when the restaurant and hospitality industry, exemplified by the Pullman Company, ``hired'' newly freed slaves without paying them base wages. The effect was to create a permanent servant class, for whom the responsibility of paying a wage was shifted from employers to customers. Today, poverty rates for people who work for tips are more than twice as high as rates for working people overall--with female tipped workers, especially women of color, at a particular disadvantage. According to the 2012-2015 ACS data on gender and race for tipped occupations, of the almost 6 million tipped working people in our country, 66 percent are women. And women of color are disproportionately represented in the tipped workforce.

As with the tipped minimum wage, the subminimum wage under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act that allows people with disabilities working in segregated settings to be paid less than the minimum wage leaves this community vulnerable to poverty and exploitation. The National Disability Rights Network believes that ``sheltered workshops have replaced institutions in many states as the new warehousing system and are the new favored locations where people with disabilities are sent to occupy their days.'' Enacted in 1938, Section 14(c) reflects what should be a bygone era of how we as a nation treat people with disabilities. The time has come for federal action to support and fully integrate people with disabilities into the workplace.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released a report looking at the potential effects of increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour incrementally through 2025 and found that the benefits strongly outweigh its costs. The CBO report predicted that this gradual increase would decrease the number of individuals living in poverty by 1.3 million people and disproportionately increase the incomes of families that are low-income.

The civil rights community has long supported a universal floor for wages that would provide a base line for all people in our country. Indeed, one of the core demands of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was for ``[a] national minimum wage that will give all Americans a decent standard of living.'' Cost of living data show that in all 50 states today a single working person without children currently needs or will soon need a wage of at least $15 per hour to cover basic living costs. Working people with children and those in high-cost states will need even more.

Fair wages are essential for working people to cover basic expenses like housing, food, transportation, childcare, health care, and other necessities. We urge you to vote for clean passage of the Raise the Wage Act of 2019--and against any MTR that is offered--to address the economic security concerns of working families. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Vanita Gupta,

President and CEO.

Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill, the Raise the Wage Act. This critical bill would increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour and give 33 million workers a raise, including 16 million people of color who are disproportionately paid poverty wages.

Once more, it would lift 1.3 million Americans out of poverty.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is long overdue. The current minimum wage of

$7.25 is a poverty wage, plain and simple.

I, too, am a former business owner with hundreds of employees who saw firsthand how productivity was achieved and increased by paying good wages.

These poverty wages must end for everyone. Homelessness is rising. People can't afford to pay their rent. They are living on the edge.

No one in the richest nation on Earth should be struggling like this, working two and three jobs just to survive.

Mr. Speaker, I have been proud to have joined my union brothers and sisters, along with the attorney general of Minnesota, former co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, Keith Ellison, and my union brothers and sisters on picket lines, in rallies, and marches in the fight for $15. I want to thank them for their bold and committed leadership.

When we fight, we win.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on raising the wage to $15 an hour.

I thank Chairman Scott, again, for his leadership.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire again as to the time remaining on both sides.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Virginia has 4\3/4\ minutes remaining. The gentlewoman from North Carolina has 1\1/2\ minutes remaining.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), the vice chair on the Joint Economic Committee.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Raise the Wage Act, which will raise the Federal minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025.

I include in the Record a letter signed by many youth organizations in support of this legislation.

Dear Members of Congress: The undersigned organizations are writing to express our support for the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, which would incrementally increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15.00 over the next 6 years. Beyond raising the wage, the bill's important provisions include phasing out the subminimum wages for tipped workers, people with disabilities, and youth. As organizations committed to the wellbeing and economic security of young people, we are united in our goal of ensuring all youth are paid a livable wage to provide for themselves and their families.

Adults and youth both struggle to make ends meet on today's minimum wage. Currently, the poverty rate for youth {ages 18 to 24) is 16.1 percent, which is higher than the national rate of 12.3 percent. Existing law allows employers to pay youth under age 20 a subminimum wage of $4.25 for the first 90 days of their employment. While rarely used, this subminimum wage prohibits youth from being active consumers in their communities, saving money, or achieving true economic stability. The Raise the Wage Act will benefit millions of low-wage workers by increasing their income to a wage that would allow them to meet their financial needs.

Youth, like many others in this country, use their wages to support themselves and their families. For example, young people use their summer jobs earnings to purchase school supplies and assist family with buying food and contributing to college costs. Some use their wages to support their own children, pay rent, and buy other basic necessities. According to the Census Bureau, approximately 27 percent of young adults with children live in poverty. Low wages make it increasingly difficult for these parents to appropriately care for their children.

Congress has not raised the minimum wage in over a decade. Studies show that one in nine U.S. workers are paid wages that leave them in poverty, even when working full time and year-round. The economy is leaving too many people behind--including youth and young adults. Because poverty is structural and caused by systems and policies--like discrimination, segregation, and low-quality jobs--policymakers have an important role in addressing it.

Congress must act to raise the wage because it's the equitable thing to do for workers and it's a financial imperative--providing individuals with the means to meet their basic financial needs. By raising the minimum wage and eliminating the subminimum wage for youth, Congress would support young people in becoming more economically secure to help provide for their families and themselves. We urge Congress to pass the Raise the Wage Act for the good of our country's economy and the youth who will play a critical role now and in our future.

Sincerely,

National Organizations: America's Promise Alliance; Center for Law and Social Policy; Heartland Alliance; Kaleidoscope Pathways; Opportunity Youth United; Project Z; SparkAction; Strive International; YouthBuild USA.

State and Local: Arizona: Opportunities for Youth; California: KIWA (Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance); Georgia: Georgia Shift; Louisiana: Dreams are Weapons; Maryland: Baltimore Algebra Project; New York: City of Albany, Department of Recreation; Pennsylvania: E5, LLC.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, the minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 for the past 10 years. During that time, the cost of housing, food, childcare, education, all of this has risen higher and higher, but the minimum wage has been stuck.

This week, the Joint Economic Committee, where I serve as vice chair, released a report on the Federal minimum wage, and it begins with this chart. It shows that, in 1968, a full-time worker working year-round at minimum wage would take home roughly $21,000 a year.

Now, 15 years later, a worker working full-time making minimum wage earns only $15,000 a year in the same dollars, a loss of over $6,000 in real 2018 dollars. This is a 30 percent drop.

A full-time worker earning $7.25 minimum wage earns roughly $1,250 per month. That is not enough to cover even half of the monthly expenses of an average family, which total roughly $3,000. It is not enough to live on, let alone, to support a family.

Now, some critics say the minimum wage is earned mostly by teenagers, but that is wrong. More than half of those working at or below the minimum wage are above 25 years of age.

It ignores the fact that the typical minimum wage worker earns half of their family's income. As a result, boosting the wage will support millions of children and families across our Nation.

Workers with more money in their pockets will spend it, stimulating the economy.

It is important to end the gender gap, because half the people working for minimum wage are women.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I just want to applaud the gentleman from Virginia, Bobby Scott, for his selfless and bold work. He faced many obstacles.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I yield the gentlewoman such time as she may consume.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I urge a very strong vote on this to support the minimum wage and to get millions of workers the raise they so justly deserve. Over 33 million Americans deserve this raise. This chart shows it all.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I compliment my colleague on his sense of humor, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), a leader of the Judiciary Committee.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his leadership.

This is for the children.

Can you believe that this is a minimum wage increase spanning over 6 years, and you hear my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. This will allow small businesses to go in gradually and then provide all of these dollars into the economy.

This is for the children.

I just heard from a mother who works for McDonald's who cannot provide for her children and is on food stamps.

Mr. Speaker, 41.3 percent of those in my district will benefit in Texas in the 18th Congressional District. This will help the gender gap. But more importantly, it will benefit 19 million children whose parents will get a raise.

It will increase worker productivity by incentivizing people to work harder; reduce the gender gap, as women make up a disproportionate share of minimum wage workers; and reduce the rate at which renters default on their leases by giving families more money to spend on their household budgets.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record statistics relating to the 18th Congressional District of Texas.

Texas 18th District

Share of workers affected: 41.3%

Total workers affected: 155,800

Total wage increase for all affected workers (thousands, 2018$): $638,584

Chanqe in avg. annual earnings among all $4,100 year-round affected workers (2018$): $4,100

Percent change in avg. annual earnings among all year-round affected workers: 18.6%

Ages 16 to 24--Total workers affected: 41,400

Ages 16 to 24--Share affected: 81.8%

Ages 25 to 39--Total workers affected: 63,900

Ages 25 to 39--Share affected: 41.0%

Ages 40 to 54--Total workers affected: 33,100

Ages 40 to 54--Share affected: 29.4%

Ages 55 or older--Total workers affected: 17,400

Ages 55 or older--Share affected: 29.8%

Men--Total workers affected: 72,000

Men--Share affected: 35.1%

Women--Total workers affected: 83,900

Women--Share affected: 48.5%

Asian or other--Total workers affected: 7,600

Asian or other--Share affected: 29.2%

Black--Total workers affected: 49,100

Black--Share affected: 40.8

White--Total workers affected: 10,000

White--Share affected: 15.7%

Hispanic--Total workers affected: 89,100

Hispanic--Share affected: 53.2%

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, apartment complexes, local stores, local clothing stores, churches, and nonprofits benefit from the generosity of individuals who now have a decent wage.

I am standing with working people and unions. I am standing with the American people and 41.3 percent of my district.

Let us raise the minimum wage. That is the right thing to do. It is for our children.

Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor, I rise in strong support of H.R. 582, the ``Raise the Wage Act.''

With the passage of this bill, the House of Representatives will take another step in making good on its commitment to working families and individuals to put their economic interests and concerns first and attach the highest priority to making the real economy work for ordinary Americans who work hard, play by the rules, and are struggling to get by through no fault of their own.

We Democrats promised to chart a new direction for America if the voters entrusted us with the majority.

They did and with our votes today in support of H.R. 582, we are making good on our promise.

Mr. Speaker, before I discuss the importance of this bill in detail, I wish to commend Chairman Scott, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Majority Whip Clyburn, and the rest of the Democratic leadership, as well as my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, which is led so ably by Congressman Bass.

Because of their resolve and visionary leadership, more than 27 million workers, and as many as 34 million, will soon receive a long overdue raise.

What a difference an election makes.

H.R. 582 helps the most deserving American families by raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15.00 over six years, and indexing increases after that to median wage growth.

Mr. Speaker, did you know that the value of the current minimum wage represents a 51-year low?

Had the minimum wage kept pace with inflation, it would be $10.15 today, nearly $3 more per hour than it is currently.

If the wages of that worker had kept up with the pace of productivity growth, the minimum wage would be $19.33, over $40,000 per year.

It is scandalous, Mr. Speaker, that a person can work full-time, 40 hours per week, for 52 weeks, earning the minimum wage and would gross just $15,000, which is $6,100 below the $25,100 needed to lift a family of three out of poverty.

In 2018, the average CEO was paid 1,140 times the amount earned yearly by a minimum wage worker.

Mr. Speaker, since 2009 the cost of college tuition has risen more than 40 percent and health insurance premiums have skyrocketed by 41 percent.

But during that time, the minimum wage has not increased one cent.

That is unconscionable and downright un-American.

H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act, will change this sorry state of affairs.

Mr. Speaker, today more than ever America's hard-working families are feeling squeezed, living paycheck to paycheck.

I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that prices at the pump, skyrocketing health care costs and the rising cost of college in the face of falling or flat wages, are squeezing hard-working Texans in my Houston-based Congressional District as they struggle to make ends meet.

That is why I support increasing the minimum wage.

For Texas workers the basic cost of living is rising; it is only fair that the pay for hard-working Texans does too.

Mr. Speaker, 29 states and the District of Columbia have increased their minimum wage above the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour, but regrettably my home state of Texas is not one of them.

For approximately 4.7 million Texans and nearly 155,800 hardworking persons in the 18th Congressional District of Texas, passage of the Raise the Wage Act would bring immediate, tangible, and substantial economic benefits.

Increasing the minimum wage would give these families a much needed additional $4,100 a year to meet critical needs such as rent, health care, food and child care.

The increase the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour over the next six years will not allow workers to live as large as the typical CEO, who now earns 1,140 times more than a minimum wage worker, but at least it will allow these low-wage workers to make a little better life for themselves and their families.

Raising the minimum wage will benefit working families:

1. Benefit 19 million children whose parents will get a raise;

2. Increase worker productivity by incentivizing people to work harder;

3. Reduce the gender wage gap, as women make up a disproportionate share of minimum wage workers; and

4. Reduce the rate at which renters default on their leases by giving families more money to spend on their household budgets.

Increasing the minimum wage will also provide a boost to the economy, since lower wage workers are more likely than other income groups to spend extra earnings immediately and researchers estimate that a 10 percent increase in the minimum wage would increase sales by around $2 billion each year.

Mr. Speaker, the earnings of minimum wage workers are crucial to their families' well-being since the average minimum wage worker brings home more than half (51.9 percent) of his or her family's weekly earnings.

Raising the minimum wage helps women and workers of color.

More than 49,000, or 41 percent, of African American workers and 89,100, or 53.2 percent of Hispanic workers in my congressional district would get a raise under the Raise the Wage Act.

The Raise the Wage Act would substantially increase the purchasing power of 83,900, or 48.5 percent, of low-wage women workers in my district.

Since women make up nearly two-thirds of all minimum wage workers, the Raise the Wage Act would provide the greatest benefit to workers of color and women.

Single mothers would benefit disproportionately from an increase--

single mothers are 10.4 percent of workers affected by an increase, but they make up only 5.3 percent of the overall workforce.

Approximately 1.8 million Texas parents with children under 18 would benefit.

Contrary to popular myths and urban legends, adults make up the largest share of workers (80 percent) who would benefit from a minimum wage increase:

More than half (54 percent) of workers who would benefit from a minimum wage increase work full time and another third (34.5 percent) work between 20 and 34 hours per week.

Minimum wage increases benefit disadvantaged workers, and women are the largest group of beneficiaries:

1. More than 23 million (66 percent) of workers who would benefit from an increase to $15.00 are women.

2. Approximately 11.2 million (28 percent) of workers who would benefit from an increase to $15.00 are the parents of 14.4 million children, and of these, 5.4 million (48 percent) are single parents. In my District in Texas, 41.3 percent of the workers would benefit.

A disproportionate share of persons of color would benefit from a minimum wage increase:

1. African Americans represent 11.1 percent of the total workforce but are 15.3 percent of workers affected by an increase.

2. Similarly, 13.4 percent of the total workforce is Hispanic, but Hispanics are 19.7 percent of workers affected by an increase.

The benefits of an increase minimum wage disproportionately help those working households at the bottom of the income scale.

Although households in the bottom 20 percent received only 5.1 percent of national income, 38.1 percent of the benefits of a minimum wage increase to $15.00 would go to these workers.

Thirty-six percent of such workers actually contribute 100 percent of their family's earnings.

A minimum wage increase would help reverse the trend of declining real wages for low-wage workers.

Between 2009 and 2018, the minimum wage lost 29 percent of its real value.

In contrast, between 1989 and 1997, the year it was raised to $5.15, the minimum wage was raised four times and recovered about one-third of the value it lost in the 1980s.

Income inequality has been increasing, in part, because of the declining real value of the minimum wage.

Mr. Speaker, the opponents of the minimum wage often claim that increasing the wage will cost jobs and harm the economy.

Of course, Mr. Speaker there is no credible to support such claims.

The truth is that following the most recent increase in the minimum wage in 2009, and the rescue of the economy by President Barack Obama after the Great Recession, the country went on to enjoy one the more sustained period of economic prosperity in history.

Mr. Speaker, studies have shown that the best performing small businesses are located in states with the highest minimum wages.

The job growth for small businesses in states with a minimum wage higher than the federal level was 9,4 percent compared to a 6.6 percent growth in states where the federal level prevailed.

So much for the discredited notion that raising the minimum wage harms the economy; it does not.

But raising the minimum wage helps the economy by increasing the purchasing power of those who most need the money, which is far more than can be said of the Republicans' devotion to cutting taxes for billionaires and multimillionaires.

Mr. Speaker, Americans overwhelmingly side with progressive principles of rewarding hard work with a living wage.

A post-election Hill-Harris poll found that 82 percent of Americans favored the hourly minimum wage and a clear majority, 55 percent, favored increasing the minimum wage to $15.00, while only 14 percent favored keeping in place the current $7.25 wage rate.

Mr. Speaker, it is time we gave the Americans we represent a long-

over due pay raise by increasing the minimum wage to $15.00 over six years and indexing future increases to the growth in median wages so that a full-time worker making the minimum wage can afford the basic essentials, which is not the case today anywhere in America.

I urge all members to support this necessary and timely legislation.

Vote aye on H.R. 582, the ``Raise the Wage Act.''

{time} 1045

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I do take offense at anyone who characterizes Republicans as not caring about children, not caring about women, not caring about people of color, and not caring about people in poverty. We care for all people, too, Mr. Speaker, and I want to make that very clear. We will disagree philosophically, but we care about people, and we love our fellow Americans.

Democrats continue to point to figures of potential wage increases in our congressional districts, but not once have they acknowledged that CBO estimates that as many as three jobs could be lost for every one person pulled out of poverty.

So will the Democrats who vote for this bill come to our congressional districts and answer for the jobs lost?

Will they look at the women and young people and those without a high school degree who will face the brunt of the job losses from this bill in our congressional districts?

The harm inflicted by this bill far outweighs the benefits. We should not inflict that pain on our constituents just to satisfy a far left, socialist political promise. The economy is growing, wages are rising, and opportunities are increasing. We should not dampen this progress with any kind of policy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this costly, job-killing bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters from the following organizations in support of the Raise the Wage Act: the National Employment Law Project, cosigned by 500 other organizations, AFSCME, the National Women's Law Center, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, National Urban League, Disability Coalition, healthcare groups, Interreligious Working Group on Domestic Human Needs, First Focus Campaign for Children, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Oxfam, Americans for Democratic Action, National Employment Lawyers Association, and a recent article in Politico by Reverend William Barber.

National Employment Law Project,

July 15, 2019.

Dear Representative: The National Employment Law Project

(NELP), a non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of workers in low-wage jobs, enthusiastically supports the Raise the Wage Act of 2019. We urge you to vote Yes on the bill and No on any Motion to Recommit when the measure comes before the House later this week.

Last month, our nation marked a shameful milestone when the longest period passed without an increase since the 1938 enactment of the minimum wage. Nearly ten years have passed since the last increase to $7.25 on July 24, 2009. The cost of wage stagnation for workers making wages at or near the federal minimum wage is inexcusable in a country with the collective wealth we enjoy and with an economy that is booming for those who already live comfortable lives.

The Raise the Wage Act will gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025, gradually eliminate the subminimum wages for tipped, disabled and youth workers, and eventually index the minimum wage so that it rises as all other wages rise.

If signed into law, this Act will not only dramatically decrease poverty and income inequality. By phasing out subminimum wages and restoring the value of the federal minimum wage, this Act will also help address the systemically lower wages disproportionately affecting people of color, women and disabled workers as a result of the structural inequities baked into our current federal minimum wage policy.

Though opponents of raising the minimum wage will claim that it will result in job loss, these prophesies of doom have no basis in fact. Just two weeks ago, a detailed and rigorous study of minimum wage increases since 2005, including the first increases that went to $15, demonstrated that there are no discernable negative effects on employment or hours worked. Rather, it found that minimum wage increases lead to substantial declines in household and child poverty. Further studies show that raising the minimum wage also leads to a reduction in suicides, a decrease in criminal recidivism, improved maternal and child health, increased consumer spending, increased worker productivity, lower turnover in jobs, and rise in employment of older workers.

It's no wonder that the minimum wage enjoys such broad popular support, with polling showing 65% for a $15 federal minimum wage even in battleground Congressional districts.

This bill is a crucial step forward in the move to raise wages, fight income inequality, reduce poverty, and eradicate at least some measure of racial, gender and disability discrimination that is inherent in our federal minimum wage policy. It is also an important step in making sure that working people achieve a more equitable share of the rewards of their labor.

We hope that you will stand with the nearly 35 million workers who will receive a raise if the Raise the Wage Act is passed and vote Yes on the bill and No on any Motion to Recommit that is offered.

Sincerely,

Christine L. Owens,Executive Director.

____

AFSCME,

Washington, DC, July 15, 2019.House of Representatives,Washington, DC.

Dear Representative: On behalf of the members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

(AFSCME), I am writing in support of the ``Raise the Wage Act of 2019'' (H.R. 582). This legislation would have a critical impact on millions of workers by gradually lifting the current federal minimum wage.

The current federal minimum wage rate of $7.25 an hour makes it very difficult for workers to meet basic family needs. The last federal minimum wage increase was in 2009. This unjustifiable delay contributes to wage stagnation in our country. A full-time minimum-wage worker earning the federal minimum wage makes barely $15,000 per year. A worker supporting two kids on an equivalent salary would not even make enough to reach the poverty level. Taking that into consideration coupled with the fact that most minimum-wage jobs rarely include health insurance coverage or child-care assistance, it should be easy to understand why working families in America deserve better. As a result of wage stagnation and income disparity nearly 40 percent of all American families struggle with basic needs.

Raising the minimum wage lifts the wages of low-wage workers but also helps to raise the wages of all workers. H.R. 582 allows for a raise in the federal minimum wage to

$8.55 this year and increases over the next six years until it reaches $15 an hour at the end of that period. Subsequently, the minimum wage will adjust each year to keep pace with growth in typical workers' wages. The legislation also immediately phases out the outdated subminimum wage for tipped workers, which has been frozen at a meager $2.13 since 1991 and sunsets the subminimum wage for workers with disabilities.

Raising the minimum wage will help grow the economy. Workers who are paid a living wage are more productive, and more likely to spend their extra earnings immediately.

America needs a raise. AFSCME strongly supports the ``Raise the Wage Act of 2019.'' The 10-year delay has pushed millions of working families below the poverty line. Please vote yes on the bill and no on any efforts to weaken it, including any motions to recommit.

Sincerely,

Scott Frey,Director of Federal Government Affairs.

____

National Women's Law Center,

July 15, 2019.Re: Pass the Raise the Wage Act of 2019

Dear Representative: On behalf of the National Women's Law Center, I strongly urge you to vote for the Raise the Wage Act of 2019 when it comes to the House floor, and vote against any Motion to Recommit, or any amendment that would limit the scope of the bill or create anything other than a single, fair, and adequate federal minimum wage for all working people in the United States. Like the recently passed Paycheck Fairness Act, the Raise the Wage Act is essential to advance equal pay for women and economic security for their families.

Today, women across the country--especially women of color--continue to experience a pay gap and a higher risk of poverty than men. Women working full time, year round typically make only 80 percent of what their male counterparts make, leaving a wage gap of 20 cents on the dollar. This wage gap varies by race and is larger for women of color: Black women working full time, year round typically make only 61 cents, Native women only 58 cents, and Latinas only 53 cents, for every dollar paid to their white, non-Hispanic male counterparts. While Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women make 85 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men, many AAPI communities experience drastically wider pay gaps.

The Paycheck Fairness Act will address the pay discrimination, often cloaked by employer-imposed pay secrecy policies, that is one factor driving these persistent wage gaps. But women's overrepresentation in low-wage jobs is another key factor: women are close to two-thirds of the workforce in jobs that pay the minimum wage or just a few dollars above it, and more than two-thirds of workers in tipped jobs. Women of color are particularly overrepresented among tipped workers and other low-wage workers. And they are particularly harmed by a $7.25 federal minimum wage that has not gone up in a decade--and by a $2.13 tipped minimum cash wage that has been frozen for an astonishing 28 years.

The Raise the Wage Act will raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2025, then index the minimum wage so that it continues to rise along with wages overall. It will also end unfair exclusions for tipped workers, people with disabilities, and youth so that they, too, can benefit from a decent minimum wage. The Economic Policy Institute

(EPI) estimates that the bill (as introduced) would give nearly one in three working women a raise, including 41 percent of Black working women, 38 percent of working Latinas, 29 percent of white working women, and 18 percent of Asian working women. Because women are the majority of workers who would see their pay go up, wage gaps would likely narrow as well; indeed, NWLC research shows that women working full time, year round in states with a minimum wage of at least $10 per hour face a gender wage gap that is one-third smaller than the wage gap across states with a $7.25 minimum wage. And in ``One Fair Wage'' states where employers already have to pay their tipped workers the regular minimum wage before tips, the average poverty rate for women tipped workers is lower--and wage gaps for women overall are smaller-- than in states that follow the $2.13 federal standard. One Fair Wage also ensures that women in tipped jobs have a paycheck they can count on, making them less vulnerable to the sexual harassment from customers that women can feel forced to tolerate when they have to rely on tips for nearly all of their income.

A $15 minimum wage will make a meaningful difference for millions across the country who are struggling to put food on the table, access the health care they need, and support themselves and their families. But it is still a modest wage relative to the expenses that women and their families face every day, no matter where they live in the United States. According to EPI, by 2025, a single worker without children will need at least full-time earnings at $15 an hour ($31,200 annually) to meet basic needs, and workers in costlier areas and those supporting families will need more. By establishing a $15 federal minimum wage by 2025 and phasing out harmful exclusions, the Raise the Wage Act gradually reaches a single wage floor that will benefit working people and our economy nationwide.

We strongly urge you to reject any amendments or alternatives that would establish a regional minimum wage at the federal level, which would leave women of color behind and cement the wage disparities that the Raise the Wage Act is critically needed to address. And we urge you equally strongly to reject any and all carveouts for certain employers or certain types of employees. Equal pay for women requires a single, fair, and decent federal wage floor for all working people across the country--including the tipped workers, young workers, and workers with disabilities who have been harmed by exclusionary policies for generations.

Women and people of color have been left behind by our economy and our policies far too often, for far too long. Adopting the Raise the Wage Act will mark a vitally important step toward ensuring they can work with equity, dignity, and safety. We urge you to pass the Raise the Wage Act on the House floor and reject any alternative, or any amendments that would reduce its strength or scope.

Sincerely,

Emily J. Martin,

Vice President for Education

& Workplace Justice.

____

Lawyers' Committee for

Civil Rights Under Law,

July 12, 2019.House of Representatives,Washington, DC.

Dear Representative, On behalf of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (hereinafter ``Lawyers'' Committee''), a nonpartisan civil rights organization formed at the request of President Kennedy to enlist the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination, we urge you to vote for H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act, and against any motion to recommit (MTR) the bill. The Raise the Wage Act is a necessary step to increase the federal minimum wage, which has remained at $7.25 per hour for ten years, and phase out the subminimum wage for tipped workers, which has been frozen at $2.13 for nearly three decades. The Act would raise wages for millions of workers of color and reverse the growing trend of pay inequality that disproportionately impacts African Americans, Hispanics and other people of color.

The Lawyers' Committee strongly believes the Raise the Wage Act is an essential step towards reducing pay inequality and achieving economic security for communities of color. Our economy has grown immensely over the past several decades, but wages have not--particularly for people of color. Workers of color are more likely to be among the working poor, with African American and Hispanic women respectively making up 10.5% and 9.6%, compared to 4.9% of white women. Additionally, people of color disproportionately live in poverty, with 20% of African Americans and 16% of Hispanics living in poverty compared to 8% of whites. With the Raise the Wage Act, nearly two-fifths of African Americans and one-third of Hispanics would receive a raise, lifting many of these families out of poverty and ensuring they can work with equity, dignity and safety.

We urge you to vote for final passage of the Raise the Wage Act and against any motion to recommit because all workers, especially workers of color, need and deserve adequate wages to achieve economic security.

Respectfully submitted,

Kristen Clark,President & Executive Director.

____

July 16, 2019.

The undersigned organizations enthusiastically support the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, introduced by Senators Bernie Sanders (VT) and Patty Murray (WA), Representatives Robert C.

``Bobby'' Scott (VA), Mark Pocan (WI) and Stephanie Murphy

(FL).

If enacted, this legislation would:

Gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2025;

After 2025, adjust the minimum wage each year to keep pace with growth in the typical worker's wages;

Phase out the outdated subminimum wage for tipped workers, which has been frozen at a meager $2.13 since 1991; and,

Sunset the much criticized ability of employers to pay workers with disabilities a subminimum wage through certificates issued by DOL.

Phase out the subminimum wage for workers under the age of 20.

Sincerely,

9to5; A Better Balance; A Place at the Table; AAUW Texas; Abortion Care Network; ACCESS Women's Health Justice; Accessible Housing Resources, Inc. (AHRI); Action Inc.; Action Together NEPA; ADAPT Montana.

Advocate For Justice Inc.; Advocates for Youth; AFL-CIO; African American Ministers In Action; Agape Missions, NFP; AIDS Alabama South, LLC; Alabama Arise; Alameda County Community Food Bank; Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Inc.; All Our Kin.

Allegheny Valley Association of Churches; All-Options; Amara Legal Center; American Association of People with Disabilities; American Association of University Women; American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees

(AFSCME); American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO; American Federation of Teachers, Washington; American Postal Workers Union--St Louis Gateway District Area Local; American Psychological Association.

American Public Health Association; Americans for Democratic Action (ADA); Anne Arundel County NOW; Appalachian lndepoendence Center, Inc.; Arizona Center for Economic Progress; Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families; Asian Law Alliance; Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO; Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living; Association of U.S. Catholic Priests (AUSCP).

ATD Fourth World Movement; Atlanta Community Food Bank; AtWork!; AUSCP--Association of U.S. Catholic Priests; Autistic Self Advocacy Network; Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network; Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; Bend the Arc: Jewish Action; Benedictine Sisters of Erie; Black AIDS Institute.

Black Women's Roundtable; Bread for the World; Bucks County Women's Advocacy Coalition; CA Capital Chapter--Coalition of Labor Union Women; California Employment Lawyers Association; California Food Policy Advocates; Cambridge United for Justice with Prace; Campaign for America's Future; Campesinos Sin Fronteras; CAP Services, lnc./Community Assets for People.

CARECEN-Central American Resource Center; Caring Across Generations; CASA; CASA of Oregon; Catalyst for Positive Change!; Catholic Charities of Chemung/Schuyler counties, NY; Center for Changing Lives; Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs; Center for Independence of the Disabled, NY; Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).

Center for New York City Affairs at The New School; Center for Popular Democracy Action; Center for Public Policy Priorities; Center for Public Representation; Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc.; ChangeLab Solutions; Chester County Food Bank; Chicago Chapter of RESULTS, Domestic; Chicago Jobs Council; Chicago Women's AIDS Project.

Child Care Resources; Children's Defense Fund; Children's Advocacy Institute; Church World Service; Cities of Peace Detroit; Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program; Cleveland Nonviolence Network; CLUW of Southwestern PA; CLUW: NORTHEAST CLEVELAND CHAPTER; Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence.

Coalition for Low Income Pennsylvanians; Coalition of Black Trade Unionist--Northern California; Coalition of Labor Union Women; Coalition of Labor Union Women GPA; Coalition on Human Needs; Collaborative Center for Justice; Collin County Democrats With Disabilities (CCDWD); Collin County Voters With Disabilities; Colorado Center on Law and Policy; Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

Communications Workers of America (CWA); Communities Creating Opportunity; Community Action Agency of Somerville, Inc.; Community Action Partnership, NJ; Community Advocates of Northern Indiana; Community Labor United; Community Reinvestment Alliance of South Florida; Congregation Beth El, Berkeley; Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, US Provinces; Congregation of Our Lady of the Good Shepherd, US Provinces.

Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes; Congregation of the Infant Jesus Nursing Sisters of the Sick Poor, Inc.; Connecticut Association for Human Services, Inc; Connecticut Legal Services, Inc.; Connecticut Voices for Children; Cronucopia Community Advocates; CWA Local 6450; D.C. Hunger Solutions; Dakota Prairie Community Action Agency.

DC KinCare Alliance; DC Language Access Coalition; DC Law Students in Court; DC Volunteer Lawyers Project; DCAEHS, Inc.; Delaware Ecumenical Council on Children and Families; Demos; Disability Law Center; Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF); Disability Voters of Maine.

Disabled in Action of Greater Syracuse Inc.; Disciples Center for Public Witness (Disciples of Christ); Disciples Justice Action Network; Dominican Development Center, Inc.; Dominican Sisters--Grand Rapids; Dominican Sisters of Houston; DV LEAP; East Central Illinois Community Action Agency; East Hampton Housing Authority; EcoC2S.

Economic Opportunity Institute; Economic Policy Institute; Economic Progress Institute; Economic Roundtable; Ecumenical Poverty Initiative; Educate. Advocate.; Education Equals Making Community Connections; Equal Pay Today; Equal Rights Advocates; Equality California.

Equality North Carolina; Estreet Verdors Assiotation Of Chicago (SVAC); Faith Voices Arkansas; Family Promise of Greater Des Moines; Family Promise of Knoxville; Family

[email protected]; Farmworker Association of Florida; Feeding Texas; Feminist Majority; First Christian Church.

First Focus Campaign for Children; First United Methodist Church; Florida Impact; Food Chain Workers Alliance; Food Finders Food Bank; Food Lifeline; Food Research & Action Center (FRAC); For Our Future PA; Freedom Network USA; Futures Without Violence.

GCC/IBT Local 24M/9N; Gender Justice; GLBTQ Legal Advocates

& Defenders (GLAD); Global Justice Institute, Metropolitan Community Churches; Godwin-Ternbach Museum, Queens College, CUNY; Good Jobs Nation; GRANDS AS PARENTS INC; Greater Kansas City Coalition of Labor Union Women; Greater New Jersey CLUW Chapter; Greater Oklahoma City Chapter CLUW.

Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank; Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart; H.O.P.E.; HANA Center; Hawaii Appleseed; Head Start; Headstart; HEAL Trafficking; Healthy and Free Tennessee; HEAR US Inc.

Hill Snowdon Foundation; Hispanic Federation; Holy Cross Ministries; Housing Authority of the County of Lawrence; Housing Choice Partners; Howard Brown Health; Hudson County Housing Resource Center; Humanity; Hunger Action Network of NYS; Hunger Free Vermont.

Hunger Solutions New York; Idaho Interfaith Roundtable Against Hunger; IHM Sisters IHM Sisters Justice, Peace and Sustainability Office; lllinois Hunger Coalition; Illinois Collaboration on Youth; Impact Fund; In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda; Indiana Community Action Association; Indiana Institute for Working Families; Indivisible Michigan 8th--Ingham.

Inspirational Gospel Assembly; Interfaith Impact of New York State; Interfaith Worker Justice; International Labor Rights Forum; International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, UAW; Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement; Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

____

The Racist History of Tipping

(By Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II)

This week, the House of Representatives will have a chance to end a pernicious legacy of slavery. Lawmakers will vote on the Raise the Wage Act, which would boost the minimum wage across the country to $15 an hour by 2024. This would be a crucial step toward the first federal minimum wage increase in more than a decade.

A just-released Congressional Budget Office report finds that a $15 minimum wage would have tremendous benefits for low-wage workers of all races and ethnicities. Yet the stakes are particularly high for black workers. The share who would benefit from the Raise the Wage Act is far larger than the share of white workers who would benefit--38 percent compared with 23 percent.

There's another provision in the legislation--eliminating the subminimum tipped wage--that corrects a wrong that goes much further back than the previous federal minimum wage increase. For workers regularly making more than $30 a month in tips, employers can currently pay as little as $2.13 an hour. That subminimum wage has been frozen at this level for decades. Should the Raise the Wage Act pass the House, it will mark the first time that either chamber of Congress has moved to eliminate the subminimum wage, which not only deepens economic inequalities but also happens to be a relic of slavery.

You might not think of tipping as a legacy of slavery, but it has a far more racialized history than most Americans realize. Tipping originated in feudal Europe and was imported back to the United States by American travelers eager to seem sophisticated. The practice spread throughout the country after the Civil War as U.S. employers, largely in the hospitality sector, looked for ways to avoid paying formerly enslaved workers.

One of the most notorious examples comes from the Pullman Company, which hired newly freed African American men as porters. Rather than paying them a real wage, Pullman provided the black porters with just a meager pittance, forcing them to rely on tips from their white clientele for most of their pay.

Tipping further entrenched a unique and often racialized class structure in service jobs, in which workers must please both customer and employer to earn anything at all. A journalist quoted in Kerry Segrave's 2009 book, Tipping: An American Social History of Gratuities, wrote in 1902 that he was embarrassed to offer a tip to a white man. ``Negroes take tips, of course; one expects that of them--it is a token of their inferiority,'' he wrote. ``Tips go with servility, and no man who is a voter in this country is in the least justified in being in service.''

The immorality of paying an insufficient wage to workers, who then were forced to rely on tips, was acknowledged at the time. In his popular 1916 anti-tipping study, The Itching Palm, writer William Scott described tipping as an aristocratic custom that went against American ideals. ``The relation of a man giving a tip and a man accepting it is as undemocratic as the relation of master and slave,'' Scott wrote. ``A citizen in a republic ought to stand shoulder to shoulder with every other citizen, with no thought of cringing, without an assumption of superiority or an acknowledgment of inferiority.''

Several states sought to end the practice in the early 1900s, often in recognition of its racist roots. But the restaurant industry fought back and was powerful enough to roll back local bans on tipping. And tipped workers--along with most others, as the act applied to industries that together made up only one-fifth of the labor force--were excluded from the first, limited federal minimum wage law passed in 1938.

It took until 1966 for advocates to win a base wage for tipped workers, and that amounted to only 50 percent of the minimum wage already guaranteed to other workers. Congress continued to raise the subminimum tipped wage until 1996, when Herman Cain, who headed the National Restaurant Association at the time, offered legislators a bargain: The industry would accept a small increase in the minimum wage as long as the tipped wage was frozen at $2.13 an hour.

Congress agreed to the deal, and the tipped minimum wage remains just $2.13 to this day. Employers are supposed to pay the difference if tips don't bring workers to the full regular minimum wage. But too often that law is not enforced. When the Department of Labor conducted an unusual compliance sweep of 9,000 full-service restaurants between 2010 and 2012, they found that 84 percent had violated the subminimum wage system.

A century later, the industry lobby continues its fight to uphold this two-tiered pay system. Where social movements have gotten cities to pass minimum wage hikes, the lobby has pressured state legislatures to ban local wage increases altogether. The industry also fought to overturn voter-approved initiatives in Maine and Washington, D.C., that would have ended the subminimum tipped wage, while they lobbied legislators in Michigan to keep the issue from reaching the ballot in the first place.

That's why national action to finally reverse this particular vestige of slavery is so vital. No one can live on

$2.13 an hour--a poverty wage.

We may live in a very different society from 150 years ago, but the subminimum tipped wage still exacerbates the inequalities passed down from that time. Workers in the restaurant industry are far more likely to be poor or near-poor than the general population. Sure, upscale restaurants where wealthy patrons offer servers good tips on expensive menu items can provide a good living, but those jobs are few and far between--and dominated by white men.

Research also shows that tipping itself has a racial component: Customers generally give white workers bigger tips than black workers, regardless of service quality. Thanks in part to segregation within the industry and discrimination from patrons, restaurant worker poverty rates are highest for women and people of color.

Ending the subminimum wage would right one of the historical wrongs keeping certain groups of workers from receiving the full protections they are due, but ultimately, low wages driven by racism hurt workers of all races. Three times as many white workers as black workers stand to get a raise if the federal minimum wage hike passes. Undoing systemic racism opens up opportunities for all people.

With a Republican Senate and president, the Raise the Wage Act might not become national law in the immediate future. But a vote by the House to end the subminimum tipped wage would send an unmistakable signal to the several states considering similar legislation: The days of these racist tiered wage systems are coming to an end.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Will the Chair please tell me how much time is remaining.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 1\1/2\ minutes remaining.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to say that youth workers--we have heard about youth workers--should not be paid less for the same work than anyone else. Several of my colleagues have pointed out that there may be a $9 billion loss in income. According to the CBO, that comes from families making more than $232,000 a year. Families making less than that will get an increase in pay.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all of my colleagues, including members of the Committee on Education and Labor and Representatives across the Nation who have been instrumental in advancing this legislation. But most of all, I want to recognize the workers in communities across the country who stood up and demanded a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. There are some of them with us today, the Fight for $15 workers, the SEIU workers, and others from across the country.

I also want to acknowledge a broad coalition of business support, including Business for a Fair Minimum Wage and the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce.

Proposals to increase the minimum wage are always met with the same baseless predictions we have heard today. Opponents cried wolf in the 1930s, and we should not fear the impact of putting money in workers' pockets or, as President Roosevelt said in a fireside chat way back in 1938: ``Do not let any calamity-howling executive with an income of

$1,000 a day . . . tell you . . . that a wage of $11 a week is going to have a disastrous effect on all American industry.''

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to take that advice, pass the Raise the Wage Act and give a raise to 33 million Americans. It is a raise that is long overdue.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the importance of raising the minimum wage for millions in our country. This important legislation raises the wage for 45 percent of workers in my district, and provides a wage increase of nearly $640,000.

The Raise the Wage Act will indeed lift thousands of my constituents out of poverty and provide opportunity for economic mobility. However, I would like to highlight the work I have done on this legislation to make it more amenable to small, family owned businesses.

While I certainly acknowledge that every day Americans deserve a raise, we in Congress must be above rhetoric and talking points. With such a significant change proposed to the minimum wage, this must be carried out in a precise, tactful manner. As of June of this year, the unemployment rate in the United States is a mere 3.7 percent. It is critical that policies we pass through this House do not interrupt or deter this economic prosperity.

Furthermore, while I support this important legislation, we must consider how it will affect small businesses and their economic futures. Therefore, I have negotiated with the Committee a provision to lengthen the phase in period to $15 minimum wage until the year 2026.

Additionally, I am a co-sponsor of the O'Halleran Amendment. This amendment will require a comprehensive GAO report on national and regional economic impacts of the minimum wage increases in this bill. The report will have a special focus on small business and agricultural sectors. It will facilitate Congress' ability to make policy changes based on the actual economic effects of this legislation.

Lastly, I submitted two amendments that exempt local and small farms, as well as small businesses from the $15 minimum wage. These amendments delayed the minimum wage from reaching $15 until the year 2029, as well as kept the current ``tipped-wage'' provision for restaurant workers. I also sought to create a small business tax credit, along with providing two additional years to comply with a doubling of the federal minimum wage.

By providing tax credits, compliance exemptions, and a longer runway to $15, my amendments intended to give small businesses the tools they need to thrive in the economy this bill will create.

I was disappointed that my amendments were not included in this measure, but will work for their inclusion elsewhere given the vast economic benefits that small businesses provide in my community, and around the country. There are over 30 million small businesses in the United States today. Additionally, there are 24.3 million individually operated businesses with no employees. Small businesses employ over 60 million Americans--nearly half of the private workforce--and there are now over 287,000 small business exporters.

The United States small business community contributes approximately

$8.5 trillion to the economy, roughly half of the United States total

$17 trillion GDP.

Small businesses are the back bone of our country, and the engine that drives our economy. While I will vote in favor of this legislation, I hope to have my amendments incorporated as this bill moves through the legislative process. I include them for the Record.

Passage of this act is simply the first step. As this legislation heads over to the Senate, I look forward to working with my friends to improve this bill and ensure further small businesses provisions are included, as well as with my colleagues in the House on future legislation that would help address these concerns.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the time to recognize the importance of small businesses to our great nation, and the need to pay Americans a living wage.

Amendment to H.R. 582, as reported

Offered by Mr. Cuellar of Texas

Strike section 3 and insert the following new section:

SEC. 3. MINIMUM WAGE FOR SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.

Section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act, as amended, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``(i) Small Business Minimum Wage Rate.--With respect to an employer that is a small business concern (as defined in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)), except as otherwise provided in this section, the wage in effect under subsection (a)(1) shall be--

``(1) $9.00 an hour during the calendar year 2019;

``(2) $9.50 an hour during the calendar year 2020;

``(3) $10.00 an hour during the calendar year 2021;

``(4) $10.50 an hour during the calendar year 2022;

``(5) $11.00 an hour during the calendar year 2023;

``(6) $11.50 an hour during the calendar year 2024;

``(7) $12.00 an hour during the calendar year 2025;

``(8) $12.50 an hour during the calendar year 2026;

``(9) $13.00 an hour during the calendar year 2027;

``(10) $13.50 an hour during the calendar years 2028, 2029, and 2030; and

``(11) $15.00 an hour during the calendar year 2031 and each year thereafter.''.

Add at the end the following new section:

SECTION ___. MINIMUM-WAGE EMPLOYEE CREDIT FOR SMALL

EMPLOYERS.

(a) In General.--Subpart D of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 45T. MINIMUM-WAGE EMPLOYEE CREDIT FOR SMALL EMPLOYERS.

``(a) In General.--For purposes of section 38, in the case of an eligible small employer, the minimum-wage employee credit for a taxable year determined under this section is an amount equal to $200 for each minimum-wage employee of the employer.

``(b) Limitation.--The amount of the credit determined under subsection (a) for any taxable year shall not exceed

$10,000.

``(c) Eligible Small Employer.--For purposes of this section--

``(1) In general.--The term `eligible small employer' means an employer with not more than 50 employees.

``(2) Aggregation and other rules.--For purposes of this section--

``(A) Aggregation rules.--All employers treated as a single employer under subsection (b), (c), (m), or (o) of section 414 shall be treated as a single employer.

``(B) Other rules.--Rules similar to the rules of subsections (c), (d), and (e) of section 52 shall apply.''.

(b) Credit to Be Part of General Business Credit.--Section 38(b) of such Code is amended by striking ``plus'' at the end of paragraph (31), by striking the period at the end of paragraph (32) and inserting ``, plus'', and by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(33) in the case of an eligible small employer (as such term is defined in section 45T, the minimum-wage employee credit determined under section 45T(a).''.

(c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for subpart D of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following the item:

``Sec 45T. Minimum-wage employee credit for small employers.''.

(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years ending after the date of the enactment of this Act.

____

Amendment to H.R. 582, as Reported

Offered by Mr. Cuellar of Texas

Add at the end the following:

SEC. __. AGRICULTURE EXEMPTION.

Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made under this Act, shall be construed to repeal or alter the exemption under section 13(a)(6) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 213(a)(6)).

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the Raise the Wage Act that raises the federal minimum wage to $15, This bill is smart federal policy that will improve the lives of workers and their children across the nation, helping them pay their bills, support their children, and grow our economy via their increased spending power.

Many do not remember that--from the outset--the intent was that the minimum wage should be a livable wage, The federal minimum wage was part of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; critical legislation supporting workers and children by setting a federal minimum wage, requiring time-and-a-half pay, and banning the atrocity of child labor in factories. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt even said, ``It seems to me to be equally plain that no business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country . . . and by living wages I mean more than a bare subsistence level--I mean the wages of decent living.''

At a time in our country when the wealth gap is appallingly large, I am proud that the Democratic Leadership is prioritizing a livable wage. For over a decade millions of hardworking Americans worked full-time making just $7.25 an hour. Tipped workers, teen workers, or workers with disabilities have made even less. Current law allows tipped workers to make just $2.13 an hour plus tips, allows teen workers to be paid just $4.25 an hour for their first 90 days, and allows a subminimum wage for people with disabilities, unjustly denying them the equal pay that they deserve. Men and women throughout the nation work full-time yet remain trapped in poverty by their low-wages. According to the American Association of University Women, a single mom raising two kids while working a full-time minimum wage job earns only about

$14,500 or $5,000 below the poverty line. Clearly, the current minimum wage is not a living wage but a policy that systematically grows the divide between the poor and the secure, creating barriers for low-

income workers to break out of poverty.

The minimum wage increase in this bill will help close the wage gap that women--especially African-American and Latina-American women--face due to their disproportionate overrepresentation in tipped employment. Raising the minimum wages also will reduce child poverty. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the increased minimum wage will give raises to 41 million women, 28 percent of whom have children.

As many may know, helping low-income workers is a primary legislative priority for me. In my District, almost 31 percent of children live in poverty and half of those children live in extreme poverty, Further, 25 percent of the tax filers in my district are low-income working parents. I see the challenges that these children and their families face first hand. They are hard-working and incredible people trying to better themselves.

I reject opponents' arguments that increasing the federal minimum wage will eviscerate jobs. I know first-hand the benefits of an increased minimum wage because the minimum wage in the City of Chicago is $13 an hour, much higher than the federal wage of $7.25. According to the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, the transition to this wage had no impact on the employment rate nor did it negatively affect private businesses. Rather, the higher minimum wage created a higher demand by low-income households for employment. Given the positive outcomes from raising the minimum wage in Chicago and given state-wide economic needs, Governor J.B. Pritzker and our state legislators just raised the state minimum wage to $15--making Illinois, D.C., and five other states national leaders in providing livable wages for their workers. Our new law will help almost 1.4 million Illinoisans currently making less than $15 an hour, lifting thousands out of poverty and growing our economy at the same time.

Now today as a Congressman, I proudly cast my vote in support of raising the federal minimum wage to strengthen workers, families, and our economy.

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 582. This bill is yet another overreaching power-grab from Washington. Missouri voters already decided to raise their minimum wage last year. However, now the federal government believes it knows better than the states and wants to force a one-size-fits-all policy on all Americans. Unfortunately, this policy will cost 3.7 million jobs nationwide, and would cause nearly half of families with a minimum wage earner to see a reduction in household income.

Even more concerning, H.R. 582 contains a provision to remove choices for disabled workers and their families. Section 6 of this bill would eliminate the 14(c) certificates which enable Sheltered Workshops to operate.

Sheltered Workshops are non-profit, local, or state organizations that provide dignified employment opportunities for individuals who are developmentally, physically, or mentally impaired. These opportunities are enabled by the 14(c) certificates which allows individuals to be paid a wage commensurate with their ability level. Sheltered Workshops also provide the necessary tools for those with disabilities to succeed in their jobs and can help these individuals acclimate to the workforce, and even learn and hone their life and social skills. The level of training and support provided by Sheltered Workshops is essential to the success of the individuals who work there.

No family wants fewer options when deciding how to help their child with disabilities succeed. That is why the 14(c) provision and the Sheltered Workshops provide more options, especially for those who may not ``fit'' or desire Vocational Rehabilitation services or Medicaid Waiver services. Without the 14(c) provision, many of the people working in sheltered workshops would be left to fend for themselves in the ``competitive workforce'' or stay home. The 14(c) provision is necessary for providing these individuals the tools they need to succeed.

That is why I submitted an amendment to strike Section 6 from H.R. 582. Unfortunately, my amendment was not made in order which is one more reason why I must oppose this flawed legislation. Let's defeat this bill and preserve job choices for Americans.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act. We must advocate for an increase in the minimum wage, as stagnant wages impede economic mobility and are a detriment to our nation's working class.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, the current minimum wage places nearly 78,000 Texans at this unlivable income, while 118,000 Texans earn even less. The Raise the Wage Act will result in a significant increase in the average annual earnings for Texans. In my home district, this figure is estimated to increase by 18.2 percent, which will make an immeasurable different in our communities.

Many people in my district are forced to work multiple jobs for long hours to ensure food is on the table for their families. This legislation will eliminate this burden on our working-class families. The economy may be growing, and wages may be rising, but the benefits of economic and wage growth are not felt equally. Individuals working 40 hours a week should be able to afford the basic necessities for themselves and their family.

I proudly stand in this chamber as a cosponsor of H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act. I urge my colleagues on both sides to join me in voting for this legislation to promote economic freedom and equity for all Americans.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act, a bill that would radically improve the lives of millions of Americans.

For ten years, the longest period in United States history, workers have suffered as the federal minimum wage stayed the same as inflation rose. With the same wages and rising prices, workers essentially received a 17 percent pay cut. That's unacceptable, and it's about time we give American workers a raise.

Americans are working just as hard as any generation, and yet, they are receiving less than their parents and they are struggling to afford basic necessities and claim their share of the American dream.

Nationwide polls show that Americans support raising the minimum wage across geographic and party lines.

Georgia's Second Congressional District, which I represent, is one of many that would be most impacted. 43 percent of workers would receive a wage increase. A majority of these workers are women and people of color, who are disproportionately affected by poverty. The largest age group that would benefit are those between the ages of 25 and 39.

Nationally, raising the minimum wage to $15 would lift 1.3 million Americans out of poverty, including 600,000 children. Poverty has devastating effects on families, and studies have shown children born into poverty have greater difficulties succeeding in the future.

Mr. Speaker, Americans work hard and should be able to support themselves and their families. This bill is modest and gradual, giving businesses plenty of time to adjust. Raising the minimum wage is simply another way to help our constituents improve their lives and boost the economy.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate on the bill has expired.

Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. O'Halleran

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

In the header of section 8, strike ``GAO Report'' and insert ``GAO Report on the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands''.

Add at the end the following new section:

SEC. ___. GAO REPORT ON WAGE INCREASE IMPACT.

(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days before the date of the third wage increase to first take effect after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General, in consultation with the persons described in subsection (b), shall prepare and submit to Congress a report, that--

(1) identifies and analyzes the effects, in the aggregate, of the first wage increases and second wage increases after such date of enactment on business enterprises (including small business enterprises) including the effects, with respect to such enterprises, on--

(A) the wages and compensation of employees;

(B) the number of employees, disaggregated by full-time and part-time employees;

(D) employee turnover and retention;

(E) hiring and training costs; and

(F) productivity and absenteeism;

(2) to the extent practicable, identifies such effects in isolation from other factors that may affect business enterprises (including small business enterprises), including--

(A) broader economic conditions;

(B) changes in Federal, State, and local law, policy, and regulation;

(D) natural disasters; and

(E) significant demographic changes;

(3) to the extent practicable, identifies and analyzes such effects for the Nation as a whole, and, separately, for--

(A) each census division, as designated by the Bureau of the Census;

(B) each metropolitan statistical area and nonmetropolitan portion (as such terms are defined by the Office of Management and Budget with respect to 2013); and

(4) describes the methodology used to generate the information in the report.

(b) Expert Consultation.--The persons described in this subsection are--

(1) labor economists with expertise in minimum wage and low wage labor markets;

(2) workers (including agricultural workers), and the labor organizations and worker groups representing such workers;

(3) representatives of businesses, including small businesses, agricultural employers, and businesses in the accommodation and food services sector;

(4) State and local governments; and

(5) the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

(c) Congressional Assessment and Recommendations.--Not later than 60 days after the date on which Congress receives the report under subsection (a), Congress shall--

(1) assess the findings of such report; and

(2) make recommendations with respect to actions of Congress to address the findings of such report, including actions to delay the next scheduled wage increases.

(d) Wage Increase Defined.--The term ``wage increase'' means an increase in wages that takes effect under subsection

(a)(1) or (g)(1) of section 6, section 3(m)(2)(A)(i), or section 14(c)(1)(A) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938

(29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.), as amended by this Act.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 492, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. O'Halleran) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.

Mr. O'HALLERAN. This prudent, commonsense amendment is necessary to ensure that once this legislation is passed, it has the positive effects we intended. I strongly support the Raise the Wage Act, and I believe it will positively impact communities nationwide and lift families out of poverty.

The State of Arizona and my constituents in the First District voted overwhelmingly to raise the minimum wage in 2016. It is currently $11 an hour. During this implementation of this minimum wage increase, Arizona has seen a 4.3 percent growth in State GDP--the third fastest growing economy in the Nation. We have seen in Arizona that increasing the wage pays off for our economy and our families.

My amendment will only strengthen the underlying bill. It requires independent, objective analysis of the economic and employment impacts of this legislation. It would require the Government Accountability Office to submit a report to Congress on the effects of the first two wage increases in the legislation.

Specifically, the GAO must report on the effects on small businesses and on wages and compensation. The report also includes an analysis of the law's effects on urbanized and rural areas.

Importantly, this amendment would require the GAO to consult various stakeholders and experts when developing its report. These would include small business owners, labor economists, agricultural workers, the food service industry, and State and local governments.

It would allow constituents to provide their input on how their families, businesses, and communities have been affected.

This thoughtful, data-driven approach will allow us to see the real impacts of this legislation.

I believe as lawmakers we do the best job of responding to the needs of our constituents when we are best informed.

I want to thank the cosponsors of the amendment and the Education and Labor Committee for working with us and the Rules Committee for making this amendment in order.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, a hot economy is leading to higher wages. There are 7.3 million unfilled jobs which puts all workers in a good position to receive higher wages, and we have seen robust wage growth for nearly a year in all categories. Unfortunately, this amendment does nothing to prevent the negative impacts of H.R. 582.

Calling this amendment a fig leaf is an insult to fig leaves.

First, the amendment requires that GAO study only--only--the effects of the first two of the seven wage hikes in H.R. 582, rather than the actual effect of the bill which is increasing the minimum wage by 107 percent to $15 an hour and indexing the wage rate forever after that.

As my colleagues well know, the first two wage hikes in the bill will not be as damaging as the increase to $15. So the results of the proposed GAO study are rigged to avoid use the damaging 107 percent hike as the appropriate benchmark.

Second, this amendment has no teeth. It merely says that Congress can make recommendations after the first two wage hikes have gone into effect. Give me a break. But there is no requirement that Congress do anything in response to these recommendations, and there is no fast-

track authority in this amendment.

Third, we already have in our possession a recent detailed and highly credible study of the effects of a 107 percent wage hike to the current Federal minimum wage. With regard to GAO's studies, at the Education and Labor Committee markup of H.R. 582 in March, Chairman Scott already dismissed the effectiveness and conclusions of a potential GAO report that might show jobs lost.

Explaining his opposition to a proposed GAO study, Mr. Scott said, This amendment suggests that there will be job loss. All of the studies show otherwise.

I urge my colleagues to see this amendment for what it is: an attempt to provide political cover to Democrat Members who are justifiably concerned about the negative impact of a $15 Federal minimum wage in their districts.

Vote ``no'' on this amendment and ``no'' on H.R. 582.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox).

Mr. COX of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of our amendment to the Raise the Wage Act. I joined this amendment to look out for the small businesses and the agricultural businesses that are so vital to the Central Valley of California and to our Nation.

The minimum wage has not been raised since 2009. In the decade since, due to inflation and rising costs, the paychecks of millions of hardworking Americans naturally don't go as far as they used to.

Every worker deserves a living wage, and this amendment ensures that we can give at least 17 million Americans a raise while also protecting farms and small businesses. We do this by requiring the Government Accountability Office to analyze and produce a study of the impact of the first two scheduled wage increases on our Nation's small businesses, our agriculture industry, and our workers.

The study will consider the specific effects of raising the minimum wage in each Census tract and rural area, so families, like those I serve in the Central Valley of California, aren't left behind.

If we find the negative impacts are too great, the relevant committees are required to make recommendations to Congress which may include actions necessary to delay the next scheduled increases, if necessary.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, the chairman of the Education and Labor Committee already has a low opinion of these types of studies, and his mind is made up about a $15 Federal minimum wage.

This amendment sets up a rigged process in which House Democrat leaders who already support a 107 percent hike will decide whether to move forward with it. There is no doubt how they will decide.

Congressman Grijalva agrees with Chairman Scott. He is quoted in a July 15 article in The Hill regarding the amendment's proposed study:

``It's almost perfunctory. Look what we did. So I don't think it's consequential. But I don't think it's needed, either.''

Mr. Speaker, this amendment is not necessary. Let the Democrats vote for the $15 wage hike and take the consequences of it. Democrats should stop trying to provide political cover for themselves with this amendment which does absolutely nothing.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Arizona has 1\1/2\ minutes remaining. The gentlewoman from North Carolina has 1\1/2\ minutes remaining.

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that the discussion in committee and Chairman Scott's comments were not about this bill. They were about another bill.

To identify that the Members of this Congress do not need data on which to make further decisions, I hope we don't get to that point in time in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding I am allowed to close, so I will reserve until the other side does so.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman is correct.

{time} 1100

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), committee chairman, for all the hard work he has done. And I want to look forward to a time in America that we can see a time when the working families of America can partake in the economy as others do today.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I will say again to our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, there is no group of people more than the Republicans on this side of the aisle who care about working families and who work every day for the philosophies that will support those working families and, again, all other groups.

Let me say again, the amendment requires the GAO study only the effects of the first two of the seven wage hikes in H.R. 582 rather than the actual effect of this bill, which is increasing the minimum wage by 107 percent.

As my colleagues well know, the first two wage hikes will not be as damaging as the increase to $15, so the results of the proposed GAO study are rigged to avoid using the damaging 107 percent hike as the appropriate benchmark.

Second, this amendment has no teeth. It merely says that Congress can make recommendations after the first two wage hikes have gone into effect, but there is no requirement that Congress do anything in response, and there is no fast-track authority in this amendment.

Again, I will say that this amendment is not necessary.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to see this amendment for what it is: an attempt to provide political cover to Democrat Members who are justifiably concerned about the negative impacts of a $15 Federal minimum wage in their district.

Vote ``no'' on this amendment and ``no'' on H.R. 582.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the previous question is ordered on the bill and on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. O'Halleran).

The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. O'Halleran).

The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it.

Recorded Vote

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

A recorded vote was ordered.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, this 15-

minute vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. O'Halleran) will be followed by 5-minute votes on:

A motion to recommit, if offered; and

Passage of the bill, if ordered; and

Agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal, if ordered.

The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 248, noes 181, not voting 3, as follows:

AYES--248

AdamsAguilarAllredAxneBarraganBassBeattyBeraBeyerBishop (GA)BlumenauerBlunt RochesterBonamiciBostBoyle, Brendan F.BrindisiBrown (MD)Brownley (CA)BustosButterfieldCarbajalCardenasCarson (IN)CartwrightCaseCasten (IL)Castor (FL)Castro (TX)Chu, JudyCicillineCisnerosClark (MA)Clarke (NY)ClayCleaverClyburnCohenConnollyCooperCorreaCostaCourtneyCox (CA)CraigCristCrowCuellarCummingsCunninghamDavids (KS)Davis (CA)Davis, Danny K.Davis, RodneyDeanDeFazioDeGetteDeLauroDelBeneDelgadoDemingsDeSaulnierDeutchDiaz-BalartDingellDoggettDoyle, Michael F.EngelEscobarEshooEspaillatEvansFinkenauerFitzpatrickFletcherFosterFrankelFudgeGallegoGaramendiGarcia (IL)Garcia (TX)GoldenGomezGonzalez (TX)GottheimerGreen, Al (TX)GrijalvaGrothmanHaalandHarder (CA)HartzlerHastingsHayesHeckHerrera BeutlerHiggins (NY)Hill (CA)HimesHorn, Kendra S.HorsfordHoulahanHoyerHuffmanJackson LeeJayapalJeffriesJohnson (GA)Johnson (TX)KapturKatkoKeatingKelly (IL)KennedyKhannaKildeeKilmerKimKindKing (NY)KinzingerKirkpatrickKrishnamoorthiKuster (NH)LambLangevinLarsen (WA)Larson (CT)LawrenceLawson (FL)Lee (CA)Lee (NV)Levin (CA)Levin (MI)LewisLieu, TedLipinskiLoebsackLofgrenLowenthalLoweyLujanLuriaLynchMalinowskiMaloney, Carolyn B.Maloney, SeanMatsuiMcAdamsMcBathMcCollumMcEachinMcGovernMcNerneyMeeksMengMooreMorelleMoultonMucarsel-PowellMurphyNadlerNapolitanoNealNeguseNorcrossO'HalleranOcasio-CortezOmarPallonePanettaPappasPascrellPaynePerlmutterPetersPetersonPhillipsPingreePocanPorterPressleyPrice (NC)QuigleyRaskinRice (NY)RichmondRooney (FL)Rose (NY)RoudaRoybal-AllardRuizRuppersbergerRushRyanSanchezSarbanesScanlonSchakowskySchiffSchneiderSchraderSchrierScott (VA)Scott, DavidSerranoSewell (AL)ShalalaShermanSherrillSiresSlotkinSmith (NJ)Smith (WA)SotoSpanbergerSpeierStantonStefanikSteilStevensSuozziSwalwell (CA)TakanoThompson (CA)Thompson (MS)TitusTlaibTonkoTorres (CA)Torres Small (NM)TrahanTroneUnderwoodUptonVan DrewVargasVeaseyVelaVelazquezViscloskyWasserman SchultzWatersWatson ColemanWelchWextonWildWilson (FL)Yarmuth

NOES--181

AderholtAllenAmashAmodeiArmstrongArringtonBabinBaconBairdBaldersonBanksBarrBergmanBiggsBilirakisBishop (UT)BradyBrooks (AL)Brooks (IN)BuchananBuckBucshonBuddBurchettBurgessByrneCalvertCarter (GA)Carter (TX)ChabotCheneyClineCloudColeCollins (GA)Collins (NY)ComerConawayCookCrawfordCrenshawCurtisDavidson (OH)DesJarlaisDuffyDuncanDunnEmmerEstesFergusonFleischmannFloresFoxx (NC)FulcherGaetzGallagherGianforteGibbsGohmertGonzalez (OH)GoodenGosarGrangerGraves (GA)Graves (LA)Graves (MO)Green (TN)GriffithGuestGuthrieHagedornHarrisHern, KevinHice (GA)Higgins (LA)Hill (AR)HoldingHollingsworthHudsonHuizengaHunterHurd (TX)Johnson (LA)Johnson (OH)Johnson (SD)JordanJoyce (OH) Joyce (PA)KellerKelly (MS)Kelly (PA)King (IA)Kustoff (TN)LaHoodLaMalfaLambornLattaLeskoLongLoudermilkLucasLuetkemeyerMarchantMarshallMassieMastMcCarthyMcCaulMcClintockMcHenryMcKinleyMeadowsMeuserMillerMitchellMoolenaarMooney (WV)MullinNewhouseNormanNunesOlsonPalazzoPalmerPencePerryPoseyRatcliffeReedReschenthalerRice (SC)RigglemanRobyRodgers (WA)Roe, David P.Rogers (AL)Rogers (KY)Rose, John W.RouzerRoyRutherfordScaliseSchweikertScott, AustinSensenbrennerShimkusSimpsonSmith (MO)Smith (NE)SmuckerSpanoStauberSteubeStewartStiversTaylorThompson (PA)ThornberryTimmonsTiptonTurnerWagnerWalbergWaldenWalkerWalorskiWaltzWatkinsWeber (TX)Webster (FL)WenstrupWestermanWilliamsWilson (SC)WittmanWomackWoodallWrightYohoYoungZeldin

NOT VOTING--3

AbrahamFortenberryGabbard

{time} 1132

Mrs. HARTZLER, Messrs. ROSE of New York and GROTHMAN changed their vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''

So the amendment was agreed to.

The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Neguse). The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.

The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was read the third time.

Motion to Recommit

Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentleman opposed to the bill?

Mr. MEUSER. I am, in its current form.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to recommit.

The Clerk read as follows:

Mr. Meuser moves to recommit the bill H.R. 582 to the Committee on Education and Labor with instructions to report the same back to the House forthwith, with the following amendment:

Add at the end the following:

SEC. __. SMALL BUSINESS SURVIVAL.

The amendments made by this Act shall not apply with respect to an enterprise (as defined in section 3 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203)) that--

(1) employs fewer than 10 individuals; or

(2) whose annual gross volume of sales made or business done is less than $1,000,000.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognized for 5 minutes in support of his motion.

Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, this motion will not delay passage of this bill or return it to committee. It is our last opportunity as a House to amend this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am here to offer a motion to recommit that is about small business survival. It is about protecting the 8 million minority-

owned small businesses, the 9.9 million women-owned small businesses, and the 2.5 million veteran-owned small businesses around the country from the devastating repercussions of H.R. 582.

With this motion to recommit, employers with fewer than 10 employees or annual sales under $1 million will not be forced to implement a $15-

per-hour minimum wage.

If this amendment is adopted, mom-and-pop shops across the country will be protected from this bill's extreme and unnecessary one-size-

fits-all Washington mandate.

Small businesses employ almost half of all U.S. employees and account for two-thirds of net new jobs. 99.9 percent of U.S. businesses are small.

We know small businesses and their employees are the most vulnerable to this radical and unprecedented increase in the Federal minimum wage. The National Federation of Independent Business estimates that businesses with fewer than 500 employees will account for 57 percent of jobs lost due to this bill, and businesses with fewer than 100 employees will account for 43 percent of jobs lost.

Yet my Democrat colleagues have done nothing to protect these job creators from a 107 percent minimum wage hike. Instead, this legislation treats big and small businesses exactly same.

Without the financial resilience needed to absorb the increase in bottom-line costs that this legislation will bring about, small businesses and towns in every congressional district will be forced to make very tough choices: Do they lay off workers? Raise prices on their customers? Replace workers with robotics? Or shut their doors completely?

Congress should not force our Nation's smallest and most vital job creators to make those kinds of decisions.

Small business workers and their families will also take a significant hit. The nonpartisan CBO backs up this reality, reporting that mandating a $15 minimum wage would ``reduce business income and raise prices as higher labor costs would be absorbed by business owners and then passed on to consumers.''

From coast to coast, we have already seen real-world examples of how workers and employers would be punished by this socialist policy. One study found that Washington-knows-best mandates that stretch across our Nation--or better known as socialist policies--we have real-world examples showing that they simply do not work.

There was a very thorough study by Washington State University which showed, in Seattle, a $15 minimum wage law reduced total income paid to the city's low-wage workers by $120 million per year in that one city alone.

The cost of living in Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York City, where a $15 minimum wage is already in place, or soon to be, is much higher than my district in Pennsylvania. With such disparities in the cost of living across the country, imagine what a wage hike will do to rural areas, rural workers represented by many of us in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, despite today's booming economy and rising wages, supporters of H.R. 582 think it is best to force a punishing, Washington one-size-fits-all wage hike on small businesses across America.

A small business owner in the State of Washington actually said it best:

Congress should not and cannot mandate its way to wage growth and prosperity, because those mandates hit small business hardest.

Mr. Speaker, even the liberal Washington Post said yesterday: ``There is a trade-off in raising the minimum wage so substantially.''

The Washington Post went on to say: ``Those who would lose out, in the form of no job at all, would wind up not with less pay but with no pay.''

I urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this modest but important amendment to H.R. 582. The small businesses and their workers back home in each and every one of our districts will thank us for protecting their livelihood.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Florida is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mrs. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, there has been an awful lot of talk recently about what it means to be a patriotic American, and the fact is the answer for each of us is deeply personal.

I wasn't blessed to be born an American citizen. I was born in Vietnam, where my parents faced persecution by a communist government, in part, for their wartime affiliation with the U.S. military.

When I was a baby, we fled Vietnam by boat, running out of fuel in the South China Sea when a U.S. Navy ship came to our rescue, helping us reach a Malaysian refugee camp. A Lutheran church then sponsored our passage to America, where we became proud citizens.

Although we were eternally grateful to be here, life wasn't always easy. My mom worked as a seamstress and my dad at a power plant, and together, they cleaned office buildings at night, often bringing my brother and me along.

My parents didn't speak English well or have a community of close friends, but what they did have, like so many immigrants, was a strong work ethic.

My dad also had a labor union in his corner, and the union spoke for him and they fought for him.

My parents worked hard to make ends meet so that their children would have opportunities they themselves never had. And that is the American Dream, which brings me back to the question of what it means to be a patriot.

For me, it starts with gratitude for this country and an appreciation for its exceptional qualities.

This country saved my family's life. It gave us refuge and opportunity, as it has done for so many across generations.

But I think patriotism goes beyond love of country. It is also about striving to make this country even stronger. It is about trying to make life a little bit easier for Americans who work hard and play by the rules, folks like my parents and like so many of my constituents.

I support this bill for a simple reason: In the greatest country on Earth, nobody with the dignity of a full-time job should suffer the indignity of not being able to provide for themselves or their loved ones.

For a decade, the minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour, while the cost of living has skyrocketed, and there is no part in this great country where $7.25 is a living wage anymore.

It is past time we gave hardworking American families a raise. They have earned it.

This bill gradually increases the minimum wage in seven steps, reaching $15 by 2025 at the earliest. This is a reasonable bill, not a radical one.

CBO estimates this bill will raise wages for nearly 30 million workers and lift millions out of poverty. They will have more money to spend in the local economy because workers are consumers, too, and they will be less reliant on government programs. And given that our deficit will exceed a trillion dollars this year, that should be music to my Republican colleagues' ears.

I oppose this MTR because every American who works hard deserves a fair shot at the American Dream. Whether you live in Pennsylvania or Arizona or Minnesota or Florida, you deserve a raise. And whether you work for a large corporation or a small business, you deserve a raise; you deserve a living wage; and you certainly deserve $15 an hour.

Public polling shows strong bipartisan support for increasing the minimum wage.

Make no mistake: This MTR is simply a Republican attempt to defeat this bill because they oppose any increase to the Federal minimum wage. Some oppose the concept of a minimum wage at all. Well, the American people disagree, and as Democrats, we stand with the American people.

The contrast is clear: Our Republican colleagues made working families pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals and corporations. Yes, they did. And now they are opposing our efforts to give those working families a raise. That is not just bad policy; that is shameful.

When I vote ``yes'' on final passage, I will be thinking about my parents and my hardworking constituents; and thank God families like these have labor unions fighting for them in the workplace and in the Halls of Congress. This will be one of the proudest votes I cast.

I urge my colleagues to oppose the MTR. Let's pass this bill. Let's continue this fight in the Senate and in State capitals across this country.

I yield back the balance of my time.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is ordered on the motion to recommit.

There was no objection.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to recommit.

The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the noes appeared to have it.

Recorded Vote

Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

A recorded vote was ordered.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a 5-minute vote.

The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 210, noes 218, not voting 4, as follows:

AYES--210

AderholtAllenAmashAmodeiArmstrongArringtonBabinBaconBairdBaldersonBanksBarrBergmanBiggsBilirakisBishop (UT)BostBradyBrindisiBrooks (AL)Brooks (IN)BuchananBuckBucshonBuddBurchettBurgessByrneCalvertCarter (GA)Carter (TX)ChabotCheneyClineCloudColeCollins (GA)Collins (NY)ComerConawayCookCrawfordCrenshawCuellarCunninghamCurtisDavids (KS)Davidson (OH)Davis, RodneyDesJarlaisDiaz-BalartDuffyDuncanDunnEmmerEstesFergusonFitzpatrickFleischmannFloresFoxx (NC)FulcherGaetzGallagherGianforteGibbsGohmertGonzalez (OH)GoodenGosarGottheimerGrangerGraves (GA)Graves (LA)Graves (MO)Green (TN)GriffithGrothmanGuestGuthrieHagedornHarrisHartzlerHastingsHern, KevinHerrera BeutlerHice (GA)Higgins (LA)Hill (AR)HoldingHollingsworthHorn, Kendra S.HudsonHuizengaHunterHurd (TX)Johnson (LA)Johnson (OH)Johnson (SD)JordanJoyce (OH)Joyce (PA)KatkoKellerKelly (MS)Kelly (PA)King (IA)King (NY)KinzingerKustoff (TN)LaHoodLaMalfaLambornLattaLeskoLongLoudermilkLucasLuetkemeyerMarchantMarshallMassieMastMcAdamsMcCarthyMcCaulMcClintockMcHenryMcKinleyMeadowsMeuserMillerMitchellMoolenaarMooney (WV)MullinNewhouseNormanNunesOlsonPalazzoPalmerPencePerryPetersonPoseyRatcliffeReedReschenthalerRice (SC)RigglemanRobyRodgers (WA)Roe, David P.Rogers (AL)Rogers (KY)Rooney (FL)Rose, John W.RouzerRoyRutherfordScaliseSchraderSchweikertScott, AustinSensenbrennerShimkusSimpsonSlotkinSmith (MO)Smith (NE)Smith (NJ)SmuckerSpanbergerSpanoStauberStefanikSteilSteubeStewartStiversTaylorThompson (PA)ThornberryTimmonsTiptonTurnerUptonVan DrewWagnerWalbergWaldenWalkerWalorskiWaltzWatkinsWeber (TX)Webster (FL)WenstrupWestermanWildWilliamsWilson (SC)WittmanWomackWoodallWrightYohoYoungZeldin

NOES--218

AdamsAguilarAllredAxneBarraganBassBeattyBeraBeyerBishop (GA)BlumenauerBlunt RochesterBonamiciBoyle, Brendan F.Brown (MD)Brownley (CA)BustosButterfieldCarbajalCardenasCarson (IN)CartwrightCaseCasten (IL)Castor (FL)Castro (TX)Chu, JudyCicillineCisnerosClark (MA)Clarke (NY)ClayCleaverClyburnCohenConnollyCooperCorreaCostaCourtneyCox (CA)CraigCristCrowCummingsDavis (CA)Davis, Danny K.DeanDeFazioDeGetteDeLauroDelBeneDelgadoDemingsDeSaulnierDeutchDingellDoggettDoyle, Michael F.EngelEscobarEshooEspaillatEvansFinkenauerFletcherFosterFrankelFudgeGallegoGaramendiGarcia (IL)Garcia (TX)GoldenGomezGonzalez (TX)GrijalvaHaalandHarder (CA)HayesHeckHiggins (NY)Hill (CA)HimesHorsfordHoulahanHoyerHuffmanJackson LeeJayapalJeffriesJohnson (GA)Johnson (TX)KapturKeatingKelly (IL)KennedyKhannaKildeeKilmerKimKindKirkpatrickKrishnamoorthiKuster (NH)LambLangevinLarsen (WA)Larson (CT)LawrenceLawson (FL)Lee (CA)Lee (NV)Levin (CA)Levin (MI)LewisLieu, TedLipinskiLoebsackLofgrenLowenthalLoweyLujanLuriaLynchMalinowskiMaloney, Carolyn B.Maloney, SeanMatsuiMcBathMcCollumMcEachinMcGovernMcNerneyMeeksMengMooreMorelleMoultonMucarsel-PowellMurphyNadlerNapolitanoNealNeguseNorcrossO'HalleranOcasio-CortezOmarPallonePanettaPappasPascrellPaynePerlmutterPetersPhillipsPingreePocanPorterPressleyPrice (NC)QuigleyRaskinRice (NY)RichmondRose (NY)RoudaRoybal-AllardRuizRuppersbergerRushRyanSanchezSarbanesScanlonSchakowskySchiffSchneiderSchrierScott (VA)Scott, DavidSerranoSewell (AL)ShalalaShermanSherrillSiresSmith (WA)SotoSpeierStantonStevensSuozziSwalwell (CA)TakanoThompson (CA)Thompson (MS)TitusTlaibTonkoTorres (CA)Torres Small (NM)TrahanTroneUnderwoodVargasVeaseyVelaVelazquezViscloskyWasserman SchultzWatersWatson ColemanWelchWextonWilson (FL)Yarmuth

NOT VOTING--4

AbrahamFortenberryGabbardGreen, Al (TX)

{time} 1154

Mr. BILIRAKIS changed his vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''

So the motion to recommit was rejected.

The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.

Stated against:

Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 495.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.

The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it.

Recorded Vote

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

A recorded vote was ordered.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a 5-minute vote.

The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 231, noes 199, not voting 3, as follows:

AYES--231

AdamsAguilarAllredAxneBarraganBassBeattyBeraBeyerBishop (GA)BlumenauerBlunt RochesterBonamiciBoyle, Brendan F.Brown (MD)Brownley (CA)BustosButterfieldCarbajalCardenasCarson (IN)CartwrightCaseCasten (IL)Castor (FL)Castro (TX)Chu, JudyCicillineCisnerosClark (MA)Clarke (NY)ClayCleaverClyburnCohenConnollyCooperCorreaCostaCourtneyCox (CA)CraigCristCrowCuellarCummingsDavids (KS)Davis (CA)Davis, Danny K.DeanDeFazioDeGetteDeLauroDelBeneDelgadoDemingsDeSaulnierDeutchDingellDoggettDoyle, Michael F.EngelEscobarEshooEspaillatEvansFinkenauerFitzpatrickFletcherFosterFrankelFudgeGallegoGaramendiGarcia (IL)Garcia (TX)GoldenGomezGonzalez (TX)GottheimerGreen, Al (TX)GrijalvaHaalandHarder (CA)HastingsHayesHeckHiggins (NY)Hill (CA)HimesHorsfordHoulahanHoyerHuffmanJackson LeeJayapalJeffriesJohnson (GA)Johnson (TX)KapturKeatingKelly (IL)KennedyKhannaKildeeKilmerKimKindKirkpatrickKrishnamoorthiKuster (NH)LambLangevinLarsen (WA)Larson (CT)LawrenceLawson (FL)Lee (CA)Lee (NV)Levin (CA)Levin (MI)LewisLieu, TedLipinskiLoebsackLofgrenLowenthalLoweyLujanLuriaLynchMalinowskiMaloney, Carolyn B.Maloney, SeanMatsuiMcBathMcCollumMcEachinMcGovernMcNerneyMeeksMengMooreMorelleMoultonMucarsel-PowellMurphyNadlerNapolitanoNealNeguseNorcrossO'HalleranOcasio-CortezOmarPallonePanettaPappasPascrellPaynePelosiPerlmutterPetersPetersonPhillipsPingreePocanPorterPressleyPrice (NC)QuigleyRaskinRice (NY)RichmondRooney (FL)Rose (NY)RoudaRoybal-AllardRuizRuppersbergerRushRyanSanchezSarbanesScanlonSchakowskySchiffSchneiderSchrierScott (VA)Scott, DavidSerranoSewell (AL)ShalalaShermanSherrillSiresSlotkinSmith (NJ)Smith (WA)SotoSpanbergerSpeierStantonStevensSuozziSwalwell (CA)TakanoThompson (CA)Thompson (MS)TitusTlaibTonkoTorres (CA)TrahanTroneUnderwoodVan DrewVargasVeaseyVelaVelazquezViscloskyWasserman SchultzWatersWatson ColemanWelchWextonWildWilson (FL)Yarmuth

NOES--199

AderholtAllenAmashAmodeiArmstrongArringtonBabinBaconBairdBaldersonBanksBarrBergmanBiggsBilirakisBishop (UT)BostBradyBrindisiBrooks (AL)Brooks (IN)BuchananBuckBucshonBuddBurchettBurgessByrneCalvertCarter (GA)Carter (TX)ChabotCheneyClineCloudColeCollins (GA)Collins (NY)ComerConawayCookCrawfordCrenshawCunninghamCurtisDavidson (OH)Davis, RodneyDesJarlaisDiaz-BalartDuffyDuncanDunnEmmerEstesFergusonFleischmannFloresFoxx (NC)FulcherGaetzGallagherGianforteGibbsGohmertGonzalez (OH)GoodenGosarGrangerGraves (GA)Graves (LA)Graves (MO)Green (TN)GriffithGrothmanGuestGuthrieHagedornHarrisHartzlerHern, KevinHerrera BeutlerHice (GA)Higgins (LA)Hill (AR)HoldingHollingsworthHorn, Kendra S.HudsonHuizengaHunterHurd (TX)Johnson (LA)Johnson (OH)Johnson (SD)JordanJoyce (OH)Joyce (PA)KatkoKellerKelly (MS)Kelly (PA)King (IA)King (NY)KinzingerKustoff (TN)LaHoodLaMalfaLambornLattaLeskoLongLoudermilkLucasLuetkemeyerMarchantMarshallMassieMastMcAdamsMcCarthyMcCaulMcClintockMcHenryMcKinleyMeadowsMeuserMillerMitchellMoolenaarMooney (WV)MullinNewhouseNormanNunesOlsonPalazzoPalmerPencePerryPoseyRatcliffeReedReschenthalerRice (SC)RigglemanRobyRodgers (WA)Roe, David P.Rogers (AL)Rogers (KY)Rose, John W.RouzerRoyRutherfordScaliseSchraderSchweikertScott, AustinSensenbrennerShimkusSimpsonSmith (MO)Smith (NE)SmuckerSpanoStauberStefanikSteilSteubeStewartStiversTaylorThompson (PA)ThornberryTimmonsTiptonTorres Small (NM)TurnerUptonWagnerWalbergWaldenWalkerWalorskiWaltzWatkinsWeber (TX)Webster (FL)WenstrupWestermanWilliamsWilson (SC)WittmanWomackWoodallWrightYohoYoungZeldin

NOT VOTING--3

AbrahamFortenberryGabbard

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). The Chair will remind all persons in the gallery that they are here as guests of the House and that any manifestation of approval or disapproval of proceedings is in violation of the rules of the House.

{time} 1201

So the bill was passed.

The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.

A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

____________________

SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 121