Congressman Cohen on Increasing the Minimum Wage

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Mr. Speaker, on November 7, the voice of the American people rang out clearly across this land: Our country is out of balance. The few have prospered while many have languished.

America has become a land of the haves and the have-nots. The disparity of wealth among the richest and poorest in this country is the greatest it has been in nearly 100 years. We have laws which provide every sort of tax break for those who are thriving, while the people who are struggling daily to put food on the table and pay their utility bills have not seen a raise in the minimum wage in nearly 10 years.

Seven dollars and twenty-five cents. Seven dollars and twenty-five cents. Many haves in this country spend that much each day on their Starbucks with a dollop or a twist. Those of us who don't struggle to make ends meet, this is truly the time to walk in our brother's and our sister's shoes, shoes that need soling, not polishing.

This is not just an economic issue, it is a moral issue. Prosperity is not the property of the few, it should also be available to the least of us.

As I left the Memphis airport, a hardworking man for Northwest Airlines said to me, Congressman, will you pass the minimum wage? To him and many others, the thousands in District Nine, I say, yes, we will do that.

This is an opportunity for us to help people who need help. And I say to my fellow so-called ``do-gooders'' of the world, let us make America more fair, more humane and more just.