Pelosi Statement on President Obama’s Minimum Wage Event

Contact: Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement after the President's address on raising the minimum wage delivered in Connecticut today:

"Today, the President powerfully articulated why raising the minimum wage is good for our economy, good for our workers, and good for our long-term growth.

"The American people want and deserve and economy that works for everyone – not just the wealthy and the well connected. By raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, we will restore our nation's respect for work and give a long overdue pay raise to more than 25 million working men and women. With this one act, we could lift 1 to 4.5 million Americans out of poverty, generate some $22 billion in increased economic activity, and create 85,000 jobs. Raising the minimum wage will even save the federal government $4.6 billion a year in reduced food stamp spending.

"No person who works full time should have to raise their family in poverty. Raising the minimum wage is essential to the economic security of families and women – who make up a majority of minimum wage workers; as the President reiterated this afternoon, we know that when women succeed, America succeeds. While Republicans continue to block this critical pay raise for millions of hard working American families, Democrats will continue to push our discharge petition to force a vote, and keep up the pressure to raise the wage."

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