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Tell Congress: It's Time for a REAL Vote to Raise the Minimum Wage
The only thing stopping minimum wage workers from getting a $2.10 an hour pay raise is the unwillingness of the Republican leadership of Congress to allow consideration of a clean minimum wage bill with no poison pills and no strings attached.
Tell your representative and senators now that America’s workers won’t tolerate the Republican leadership obstructing a clean vote to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Now Let's Have a REAL Minimum Wage Vote
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
Minimum wage workers have been waiting a decade for a raise that can help lift their families out of poverty. The only thing stopping minimum wage workers from getting a $2.10 an hour pay raise is the unwillingness of the Republican leadership of Congress to allow consideration of a clean minimum wage bill with no poison pills and no strings attached. I urge you to stop the political games we've seen and see to it that Congress holds a REAL vote to raise the minimum wage.
America's working families will not tolerate the cynical political ploys congressional leaders have pulled to block a minimum wage increase. Dooming the minimum wage increase by tying it to budget-busting estate tax breaks for the very rich was an outrage. Minimum wage workers should not have to get in line behind Paris Hilton and the Wal-Mart heirs to receive the long-overdue pay increase they rightly deserve. The Republican estate tax proposal would blow a $753 billion hole in the federal budget, and working people like me would have to pay that price--with budget cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, veterans programs and unemployment insurance--so the 8,200 wealthiest estates in America could get an average tax break of $1.3 million.
It is far past time to raise the minimum wage. No more games. No more poison pills. No more cynical maneuvers. Raise the minimum wage now.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
August 08, 2006
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Minimum wage workers have been waiting a decade for a raise that can help lift their families out of poverty. Passing a minimum wage increase does not have to be hard. It would be simple to enact a $2.10 raise without poison pills. A majority in both houses of Congress already supports a $2.10 increase without poison pills.
The only thing stopping minimum wage workers from getting a $2.10 raise is the unwillingness of the Republican leadership of Congress to allow consideration of a clean minimum wage bill with no strings attached.
Minimum wage workers should not have to get in line behind Paris Hilton and the Wal-Mart heirs to receive the long overdue pay increase they rightly deserve. The Republican estate tax bill would blow a $753 billion hole in the federal budget, and working people would have to pay that price—with budget cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, veterans programs and unemployment insurance—so the 8,200 wealthiest estates in America can get an average tax break of $1.3 million.
That’s an outrage.
Republican leaders are determined not to allow a clean vote on raising the minimum wage. It’s up to us to put the pressure on, and during the congressional recess, while they’re in their home districts, is a great time for us to do it. Show up where members of Congress are making their local election-year appearances and demand they get serious about raising the minimum wage.
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