Topics in the News: Minimum Wage
Barack Obama on Jobs
: Jul 1, 2008
Expand paid sick days to seven per year
Obama has many initiatives to strengthen the family and provide a better learning environment for the young child to describe them all in detail here. A partial listing would include:- Provide a living wage: Barack Obama believes that people who
work full-time should not live in poverty. Obama would further raise the minimum wage, and index it to inflation.
- Full-time workers making minimum wage would get an EITC benefit up to $555, more than three times the $175 benefit they get today.
If the workers are responsibly supporting their children on child support, the Obama plan would give those workers a benefit of $1,110.
- Expand paid sick days: Half of all private sector workers have no paid sick days and the problem is worse for
employees in low-paying jobs. Barack Obama will require that employees provide seven paid sick days per year.
- Expand the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Encourage states to adopt paid leave
- Expand the child and dependent car tac credit.
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Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 58-59
Barack Obama on Immigration
: Feb 21, 2008
Need to look at different aspects of immigration reform
We need stronger border security. We are cracking down on employers that are taking advantage of undocumented workers because they can’t complain if they’re not paid a minimum wage and not getting overtime. Worker safety laws are not being observed.
We have to make sure that doesn’t lead to people with Spanish surnames being discriminated against. We have to require that undocumented workers go to the back of the line, so that they are not getting citizenship before those who have applied legally.
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Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Hillary Clinton on Principles & Values
: Feb 11, 2008
FactCheck: Ranked 16th most liberal in Senate
Obama was asked about a recent ranking of senators by the National Journal that rated him the most liberal in 2007. He responded by citing one vote on “an office of public integrity that stood outside of the Senate.”Obama’s answer could mislead voters
Obama cited just one of 99 Senate votes selected by National Journal’s reporters and editors for the study. Most of the votes chosen had to do with the minimum wage, renewable energy, immigration, embryonic stem cell research, and other issues that
divide liberals and conservatives.
Clinton ranked 16th most liberal in the Senate, although she actually differed from Obama on just 2 of the 99 selected votes--the creation of an outside ethics office, and allowing certain immigrants to stay in the
country while their visas were being renewed. A comparison of Obama & Clinton over the last three years (since Obama has been in the Senate) shows that Obama had an average composite “liberal” score of 88, which is higher than Clinton’s average of 77.6.
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Source: FactCheck.org on 2008 Politico pre-Potomac Primary interview
Ron Paul on Jobs
: Sep 27, 2007
Minimum wage takes away opportunities, especially for blacks
Q: In 2006, the unemployment rate of Black high school graduates was 33% higher than the unemployment rate for white high school drop outs. What do you think accounts for that inequity?A: Walter Williams, a very astute free-market economist,
has studied this extensively, and he has found that prior to minimum wage laws there was no discrepancy like this. So he put a lot of blame on the minimum wage law. Once government gets interfering, this takes away opportunities.
And I believe there is a lot of truth to this because it eliminates an opportunity and a chance for a marginal worker. I have a bill in that might help a lot of people, Black or white or whomever. I have a bill in that would immediately help these
people who are trying to get a start, that they would never have to pay any taxes or payroll taxes, if they just happen to be a waiter or a waitress, to give them a chance to get ahead and get a good job.
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Source: 2007 GOP Presidential Forum at Morgan State University
Barack Obama on Jobs
: Jul 23, 2007
Pres. candidates can afford minimum wage; most folks can’t
Q: If you’re elected to serve as president, would you be willing to do this service for the next four years and be paid the national minimum wage of $7.25 per hour?EDWARDS: Yes.
CLINTON: Sure.
OBAMA: Well, we can afford to work for the
minimum wage because most folks on this stage have a lot of money. I mean, we don’t have Mitt Romney money, but we could afford to do it for a few years. Most folks can’t. And that’s why we’ve got to fight and advocate for.
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Source: 2007 YouTube Democratic Primary debate, Charleston SC
Joe Biden on Jobs
: Jul 23, 2007
Couldn’t afford living at minimum wage; advocates raising it
Q: If you’re elected to serve as president, would you be willing to do this service for the next four years and be paid the national minimum wage of $7.25 per hour?
A: My net worth is $70,000 to $150,000. That’s what happens you get elected at 29. I couldn’t afford to stay in the Congress for the minimum wage. But if I get a second job, I’d do it.
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Source: 2007 YouTube Democratic Primary debate, Charleston SC
Hillary Clinton on Jobs
: Jul 23, 2007
No salary increase for Congress until minimum wage increased
I got to vote to raise the minimum wage. I put in legislation which said that Congress should not get a salary increase until they did raise the minimum wage, and
I am putting that back in, because I agree that by the time we got it raised after 10 years, it was already out of date.
Click for Ron Paul on other issues.
Source: 2007 YouTube Democratic Primary debate, Charleston SC
Hillary Clinton on Jobs
: Jul 23, 2007
Would accept minimum wage as president
Q: If you’re elected to serve as president, would you be willing to do this service for the next four years and be paid the national minimum wage of $7.25 per hour?GRAVEL: Oh, yes, I would, but I would say that we don’t need a minimum wage; we need a
living wage. We don’t have that in this country because of what they passed.
DODD: I don’t think I could live on the minimum wage, but I’m a strong advocate to seeing to it that we increase it at least to $9 or $10.
EDWARDS: Yes.
CLINTON: Sure.
OBAMA: We could afford to do it for a few years. Most folks can’t. And that’s why we’ve got to fight and advocate for [an increase].
Q: Would you serve at minimum wage?
RICHARDSON: Yes, I would.
BIDEN: I couldn’t afford to stay in the Congress
for the minimum wage. But if I get a second job, I’d do it.
KUCINICH: I think we need to increase the minimum wage and so all my neighbors can get an increase in their wages.
Q: So would you work for it?
KUCINICH: I would. But I wouldn’t want to.
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Source: 2007 YouTube Democratic Primary debate, Charleston SC
Barack Obama on Jobs
: Jun 19, 2007
Make the minimum wage a living wage
It’s time to turn the page for all those Americans who want nothing more than to have a job that can pay the bills and raise a family. Let’s finally make the minimum wage a living wage. Let’s tie it to the cost of living so we don’t have to wait another
10 years to see it rise. Let’s put the jobless back to work in transitional jobs that can give them a paycheck and a sense of pride. Let’s help our workers advance with job training and lifelong education.
Let’s invest in infrastructure, broadband lines, and rural communities and in inner cities. Let’s give jobs to ex-offenders--because we believe in giving a second chance to people.
And let’s finally allow our unions to do what they do best and lift up the middle class in this country once more.
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Source: Take Back America 2007 Conference
Hillary Clinton on Jobs
: Dec 12, 2006
Minimum wage increases haven’t kept up with Congress’ wages
The last minimum wage increase was in 1996, when Congress and the president raised it to $5.15 an hour. However, the impact of the 1996-7 increase has been eroded by inflation. Adjusting for inflation, the minimum wage is at its lowest point in 50 years.
While minimum wage workers have not had a single raise, Congress has given itself $31,600 in pay raises. In the Senate, I’ve proposed blocking Congress from giving itself another raise until it lifts wages for workers.
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Source: 2006 intro to It Takes A Village, by H. Clinton, p.306
Barack Obama on Jobs
: Oct 1, 2006
Working full-time should mean enough to support a family
Americans believe that if we work full-time, we should be able to support ourselves and our kids. For many people, this basic promise is not being fulfilled.Government policies can help, with little impact on market efficiency.
We can raise the minimum wage. It may be true that any big jumps in the minimum wage discourage employers from hiring. But when the minimum wage has not been changed in nine years and has less purchasing power in real dollars than it did in
1955, so that someone working full-time today in a minimum wage job does not earn enough to raise out of poverty, such arguments carry less force.
The Earned Income Tax Credit provides low-wage workers with supplemental income through the tax code should be expanded and streamlined so more families can take advantage of it.
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Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.180-181
Hillary Clinton on Jobs
: Jun 14, 2006
Minimum wage should be tied to congressional salaries
We can start by standing up for an economy that honors work again. It is unacceptable that people working for a minimum wage have not had a raise in 10 years! Wouldn’t it be nice if they were given a chance to get beyond the stagnating wages?
Productivity is up, profits are up, but people’s wages are not up. I have introduced legislation that would tie the minimum wage to congressional salaries. No more increases for Congress until we raise the minimum wage!
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Source: Annual 2006 Take Back America Conference
Barack Obama on Jobs
: Sep 28, 2004
Overrode federal overtime rules and raised the minimum wage
Obama was the driving force behind Illinois’ Earned Income Tax Credit, which has provided more than $100 million in tax relief to working families. He was the chief sponsor of the law that exempts Illinois from the Bush Administration’s new federal
overtime rules and protects overtime pay for thousands of Illinois workers. He voted to increase the minimum wage to $6.50 an hour. He sponsored a law that ensures workers have advance warning if their employer is about to conduct a mass lay-off.
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Source: Campaign website, ObamaForIllinois.org, “On the Issues”
Barack Obama on Jobs
: Jun 21, 2004
Increase IL minimum wage to $6.50 an hour
A PROVEN RECORD: As a State Senator, Barack Obama has spent his career fighting for Illinois’ working families. - Protected overtime pay.
Obama was the chief sponsor of the law that exempts Illinois from the Bush Administration’s new federal overtime rules and protects overtime pay for thousands of Illinois workers. [SB 1645, 2004]
- Provided a living wage.
Obama voted to increase the minimum wage to $6.50 an hour. [SB600, 2003]
- Worked to ensure advance notice for workers. Obama sponsored the law that requires the monitoring of employer compliance
with federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification laws, so that workers have advance warning if their employer is about to conduct a mass lay-off or close their plant.. [SB0062, 2001]
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Source: Press Release, “Creating Jobs in America”
Hillary Clinton on Welfare & Poverty
: Jan 1, 2000
Working should mean no poverty
No one who takes the responsibility to work hard every day should have to raise their family in poverty, Hillary says. That’s why she supports raising the minimum wage, and equal pay for equal work. She
worked with former Treasury Secretary Bob Rubin to increase microcredit programs, which make investment capital available to small businesses.
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Source: www.hillary2000.org “About Hillary”
Hillary Clinton on Jobs
: Oct 24, 1999
The working poor deserve a living wage
We should be working to keep a basic bargain with all Americans: If you work hard and are responsible, you will not live in poverty. If you study this issue, you can clearly see it will not hurt the economy, it will not
increase unemployment. There are those who have opposed an increase in the minimum wage, arguing that it will cost jobs, and there are some people who say we need more studies.. They are wrong.
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Source: Speech in Queens
Hillary Clinton on Jobs
: Sep 28, 1999
America can afford to raise the minimum wage
America can afford to raise the minimum wage. The last time it was raised was in 1966, 10 million Americans got a raise and the economy continued to create jobs at a unprecedented pace. Raising the
minimum wage is certainly an American issue and a human issue. But it is particularly a woman’s issue. It is also a children’s issue and a family issue.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: Remarks at Minimum Wage Event, Capitol Hill