Rewarding America’s Workers

Rewarding America's Workers
As I travel through California and across the nation, what never ceases to impress is the work ethic of Americans everywhere. No one works harder than America's workers. While our country's productivity has soared, their paychecks haven't kept pace. Stagnant wages and the lack of economic opportunities for all in our country are hurting families, holding back our economy, and eroding the basic American principle that if you work hard and play by the rules, your efforts will be rewarded.

Higher pay for workers is good for businesses, good for jobs, and good for our economic growth. By raising the minimum wage to $10.10, it will ensure that 28 million hard working men and women know the stability, certainty, and dignity of a living wage. It will create 85,000 jobs, lift 4.5 million Americans out of poverty and help feed, clothe, and shelter some 14 million children. With 71 percent of the American people supporting an increase in the minimum wage, there is an overwhelming consensus that raising the minimum wage is the right thing to do for working people and for our country.

We must pass the Fair Minimum Wage Act to raise the incomes of hardworking Americans, bolster businesses, and expand our economy. As a nation, we must honor the industry, dedication, and productivity of our working families. Congress must come together, across party lines, to increase the minimum wage, and offer a greater sense of security to millions of Americans.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi joins with Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member George Miller, and House Democratic Members to discuss the Fair Minimum Wage Act.

Victory is Sweet
As word spread of the delicious fare I received from Representative Rich Hudson after the 49ers victory over the Carolina Panthers last Sunday, Washington's Democratic Members offered a friendly wager over the NFC championship game as our San Francisco 49ers gear up to take on their Seattle Seahawks.

If the Seahawks win, I will provide the Washington delegation with a few San Francisco favorites; sourdough bread from our beloved Boudin's Bakery and delicious chocolate from Ghirardelli and TCHO. If the 49ers win, my office will receive Theo's chocolate from Congressman Jim McDermott, Brown & Haley Almond Roca toffees from Congressman Adam Smith, Fischer fair scones from Congressman Denny Heck, craft gin from Everett's Bluewater Distilling in Congressman Rick Larsen's district, Woodinville wine and smoked salmon from Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, and apples from Amy's Decadent Chocolates courtesy of Congressman Derek Kilmer.

Seattle may try to keep our fans out of their stadium, but they will not keep the 49ers out of their end zone this Sunday. I'll be looking forward to savoring the bounty of my friends' districts as the 49ers seal their return to the Super Bowl!

To follow Congresswoman Pelosi on Instagram, click here.

Honor Through Service
Fifty years ago, in a voice whose truth and righteousness still rings out across the decades, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. issued a summons to make good on the promissory note of the rights enshrined in our founding documents. He charged the nation to refuse the prejudice, inequality and injustice of the status quo, and he challenged us to answer "the fierce urgency of now."

Yet even after a half-century, in many ways we are still working to address the issues that Dr. King laid before us in his time. Today, we can celebrate new victories against old challenges – starting with the Affordable Care Act taking full effect this month, providing millions of Americans new health security, and the freedom from fear that comes with it. But we also face new challenges to old victories. A shortsighted Supreme Court decision weakened critical provisions of the Voting Rights Act, too many working families still struggle to rise out of poverty, and millions of unemployed Americans are reeling from the loss of the emergency unemployment insurancethey rely on to support their families as they look for work.

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let us rise to meet the urgency of our time. Let us draw fresh inspiration from the life and legacy of that titan of social and economic justice. And let us rededicate ourselves to realizing the full promise of America.