Rep. Johnson: “Give Americans a Raise”

Joins Effort to Force House Republicans to Allow Vote on the Fair Minimum Wage Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) is taking action to force an up-or-down vote on key legislation that would give at least 25 million Americans a pay raise. Rep. Johnson joined his colleagues in signing a discharge petition, led by Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY), to bring up the Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 1010), championed by Rep. George Miller (D-CA). The bill increases the minimum wage over three years from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour, indexes future annual increases to inflation thereafter, and gradually increases the tipped minimum wage to 70 percent of the minimum wage.

| Rep. Johnson speaks from the House floor to urge an up-or-down vote |

“In America, the land of opportunity, no one who works full time should have to raise their family in poverty,” stated Rep. Johnson. “That is why I am fighting to raise the minimum wage, which would give more than 500,000 hardworking Georgians a pay raise, totaling $1.3 billion in additional income here in Georgia.”

The current minimum wage pays only $14,500 per year, so this increase would lift between 1 million and 4.5 million Americans out of poverty. This is critical to those working hard to support their families. A majority of minimum wage workers are women and the average worker who would get this raise is 35 years old.

Further, increasing the minimum wage will help all Americans by growing our economy and creating jobs, generating some $22 billion in increased economic activity and creating 85,000 additional jobs – including about 2,900 in Georgia. Businesses, like Gap and Costco, have embraced paying a higher minimum wage because it will strengthen their bottom line, with more productive employees, less turnover, and more customers who have more money to spend.

Even though a strong majority of Americans support raising the minimum wage, Republicans in Congress are refusing to give it a vote. As a result, today Democrats are launching a discharge petition to force action on this widely supported legislation. The Fair Minimum Wage Act was introduced by Rep. George Miller on March 6, 2013, and has 194 cosponsors, but Republicans have failed to schedule a hearing or a mark-up on the bill. The discharge petition will require the House to consider the minimum wage legislation once a majority of Members of Congress (218) have signed the petition.

“The American people are calling for an economy that works for everyone – where a hard day’s work earns a decent day’s pay and everyone has the opportunity to build a brighter future,” Rep. Johnson said. “Congressional Republicans must heed their voices and allow a vote on this proposal to value work and give Americans a raise.”

###