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President Barack Obama's Weekly Address | Raise the Minimum Wage

Uploaded 02/15/2014

Raise the Minimum Wage

“President Obama took action to lift more workers’ wages by requiring that federal contractors pay their employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour. In this week’s address, he highlights that executive action and calls on Congress to pass a bill to raise the federal minimum wage for all workers.”

 

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT

 

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
February 15, 2014

Hi, everybody. In this year of action, I said I’d do everything in my power to expand opportunity for more Americans.  And this week, I took action to lift more workers’ wages by requiring federal contractors to pay their employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour.  These are workers who serve our troops’ meals, wash their dishes, care for our veterans – Americans who work hard and will get a raise as these contracts come up.  This will be good for contractors, for taxpayers, and for America’s bottom line.

We know why this is important.  Our economy has been growing for four years.  Our businesses have created eight and a half million new jobs.  But while those at the top are doing better than ever, average wages have barely budged.  Too many Americans are working harder than ever just to get by, let alone get ahead.  And that’s been true since long before the recession hit.

That’s why we’ve got to build an economy that works for everybody, not just a fortunate few.  We’ve got to restore opportunity for all – the notion that no matter who you are or how you started out, with hard work and responsibility, you can get ahead in America.

The opportunity agenda I’ve laid out is built on more new jobs that pay good wages; better training for folks to fill those jobs; a smarter education for our kids; and making sure honest work is rewarded.  And the action I took this week will reward hard work for more Americans.

But to finish the job, Congress needs to act.  In the year since I first asked Congress to raise the minimum wage, six states have passed laws to raise theirs.  More states, cities, counties, and companies are taking steps to join them.  An overwhelming majority of Americans support raising a minimum wage that’s worth about 20% less than when Ronald Reagan took office.

Right now, there’s a bill in Congress that would boost America’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.  That’s easy to remember: ten-ten.  And remember, the average worker who would get a raise if Congress acts is about 35 years old.  Most lower-wage jobs are held by women.  And raising the minimum wage wouldn’t just raise their wages – its effect would lift wages for about 28 million Americans.  It would lift millions of Americans out of poverty, and help millions more work their way out of poverty – without requiring a single dollar in new taxes or spending.  It will give more businesses more customers with more money to spend – and that means growing the economy for everyone.

You deserve to know where the people who represent you stand on this.  If they don’t support raising the federal minimum wage to ten-ten an hour, ask them “why not?”  The opponents of raising folks’ wages have deployed the same old arguments for years, and time and again, they’ve been proven wrong.  Let’s prove them wrong again, and give America a raise.  Let’s make opportunity easier to come by for every American who’s willing to work for it.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

 

 

(c)2014 The White House | SCVTV
20 Comments for President Barack Obama's Weekly Address: Raise the Minimum Wage
  1. Ask your parents to pay for college. Debt problem solved.

  2. Ridiculous when college kids are coming out of school with thousands in debt and they are starting at 12, 13 an hour, now kids who didnt go to school at all will catch up to the college grads? How does this fix anything for them??

  3. Shane Weeks Shane Weeks says:

    So what does this do to the people already making $10 hour?

  4. Hey, Guam is harboring terrorists. Let’s start a war with the Virgin Islands. Benghazi!!!!

  5. It was just the federal contractors under 10.000 employees. Big deal Obama.

  6. Donn Miller Donn Miller says:

    Loser POS. Quit posting this crap.

  7. Sandy Pida Sandy Pida says:

    @jeanette you were right and you have 2 people work and leave the kids @ day care….. This is how to raise a family……
    Even you have high education still with the high tax to pay? How about illegal people to start paying taxes??? Instead getting everything all free….

  8. Sandy Pida Sandy Pida says:

    I don’t think so I still getting $9/ hr so I’ve to take it or leave it no work if you been picky…..

  9. Todd Wimett Todd Wimett says:

    Now that’s a face you trust?

  10. Hahahaha, so awesome reading these!! Waiting for someone to blame William Ayers for something. Good ol’ SCV.

  11. Then he’s better plan on paying his federal contracts MORE money to cover the cost of higher wages…Higher taxes (yeah, we saw that through the blinds) , and higher insurance.

  12. Handicapped workers were making $2.00 an hour for the same exact job under the federal contracts.

  13. Don’t break your arm patting your back Barry…

    http://www.cnbc.com/id/101371009

  14. Oh no.. now taxes are going up again lol

  15. You were never expected to live on minimum wage or raise a family on it. Get a degree and skills to earn more! Now milk eggs everything will be triple

  16. Jim Oge Jr Jim Oge Jr says:

    There goes inflation yippy a gallon of milk 7.56

  17. Bye bye more jobs. From a president who NEVER ran anything or met a payroll.

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