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WASHINGTON, DC—Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey took to the Senate floor to speak in favor of increasing the federal minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour. Senator Casey’s statement is below:

Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 2 which will increase the federal minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour. I speak today of an issue which I believe is one of economic justice. Those earning this minimum wage have not had an increase in ten years!

Who are these Americans who have not had an increase in years? Most are adults working full-time and 60% are women working to make ends meet, supporting their children. If the minimum wage is raised, six million children will benefit. Recently, the Children’s Defense Fund reported that a single parent working full time at the current wage of $5.15 earns enough to cover only 40% of the cost of raising children.

Those who earn the minimum wage are not people who are connected to the wealthy and the powerful. They don’t have high-paid lobbyists here in Washington advocating for them.

No, these Americans are people who lead quietly triumphant lives of struggle and sacrifice, overcoming hardships and setbacks. They do hard work -- like waitresses carrying heavy trays, on their feet hour after hour even as they dream of a better life for their children. At the end of a long day, they return home exhausted, often after working two jobs. The dignity of their labor gives meaning to their lives but no one, no matter how hard they work, can keep pace with the avalanche of cost increases over the last ten years.

Here are some of those cost increases since 1997:

Congressional pay has risen 24%, which is approximately $31,000. This has occurred while the value of the minimum wage has eroded by 20% The cost of living has risen 26% The cost of food has risen 23% The cost of housing has risen 29% The cost of gas has risen 134% The cost of health care has risen 43%. The average premium for a family of four costs is $10,880, which is more than a minimum wage worker earns in a year.

The cost of raising a child has risen 52% The cost of educating those children has risen 61% The cost of heating a home has risen 120%

So, what we’re talking about here is an issue of economic justice.

Raising the federal minimum wage will give our workers nearly $4,400 more a year. Let’s consider what this could buy:

Almost two years of child care Full tuition at a community college Two years of health care One year of groceries A year and a half of heat and electricity Eight months of rent

Opponents of increasing the minimum wage will say that it will “hurt small business” or “hurt the economy.” I don’t agree with that. If you look at the data when the minimum wage was increased in 1997, what happened in the aftermath? Millions and millions of jobs were created. And raising the minimum wage didn’t slow that one iota. Recently, economists issued a statement calling for an increase in the minimum wage. With a higher increase, employers will get higher productivity, lower turn-over and increased worker morale.

Twenty-eight states have increased the minimum wage-including Pennsylvania. In July of this year, the minimum wage in Pennsylvania will increase to $7.15 an hour as a result of state legislation. That should not have had to take place. Federal action is long overdue. The federal government should have taken responsibility long ago to pass a minimum wage increase. Unfortunately, there were other, more powerful interests that took precedence.

More than 400,000 Pennsylvanians will be affected positively by an increase in the minimum wage. I’m thinking of them today.

I do believe small businesses need help. However, based upon the people I’ve talked to in Pennsylvania, the number one burden faced by small businesses is the rising cost of health care. We need to deliver health care relief to those small businesses. And that, as well, is long overdue. Their workers also deserve relief.

I fervently urge support for an increase in the minimum wage.

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