Federal Minimum Wage, March 4, 2021 — Congressional Record, Senate
Summary
This is S1046 of the Congressional Record, Senate, March 4, 2021, with interleaved columns. Under the heading Federal Minimum Wage, Mr. Sanders says that as part of the American Rescue Plan he will offer an amendment to raise the Federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour over a 5-year period. He describes the amendment as similar to his Raise the Wage Act, cosponsored by some 38 Members of the Senate, and says it would increase wages for 30 million American workers. He also argues against lobbying by the National Restaurant Association against raising the tipped wage and cites a petition with 140,000 signatures from One Fair Wage. The views are attributed to the speaker.
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“Federal Minimum Wage, March 4, 2021 — Congressional Record, Senate.”
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S1046 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 4, 2021
So, with that, I urge all of my col- about women; and that is why it is sup- Now, I know that, here in Wash-
leagues to support the motion to pro- ported by groups like Unidos, the ington, anytime we bring forth serious
ceed and final passage. American Association of University and important legislation for working
I suggest the absence of a quorum. Women, Indivisible, Justice for Mi- people, the Big Money interests get to
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The grant Women, the National Domestic work, and all of their lobbyists, who
clerk will call the roll. Workers Alliance, and the National make their six figures or seven figures
The legislative clerk proceeded to Women’s Law Center. a year, they get to work on Congress
call the roll. So, once again, this is legislation and tell you why you can’t do anything
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask that will increase wages for 30 million to protect the most vulnerable and
unanimous consent that the order for American workers. And if you ask me hard-hit people in this country.
the quorum call be rescinded. what the great economic crisis in our So the National Restaurant Associa-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without country is today, it is not just high un- tion, they are a very powerful lobbying
objection, it is so ordered. employment; it is not just income and organization. I guess they have been
f wealth inequality; it is that half of our enormously successful because we have
FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE people today, and before the pandemic, not raised the Federal minimum wage
were living paycheck to paycheck. since 2007. So the powerful lobbying or-
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, later Their wages were so low that if they ganizations are going around, and they
today or tomorrow, as part of the had a problem with their car or their are telling Members of the House and
American Rescue Plan, which we will kid got sick, suddenly they were in fi- the Senate that raising the tipped wage
be discussing in the next few days, nancial crisis. is opposed by restaurant workers and it
which I happen to believe is the most And in the richest country in the his- would be harmful to the interest of
significant piece of legislation to come tory of the world, half of our people waiters and waitresses and other peo-
to the floor of the Senate in decades in should not be facing economic despera- ple.
terms of addressing the crises facing tion when their car breaks down. The That is not true. That is what lobby-
working families—as part of that piece reason for that is, significantly, that ists say, representing Big Money inter-
of legislation, I will be offering an many millions of workers are earning ests. That is what they are paid to say,
amendment to raise the Federal min- starvation wages—and I underline that, but that is not what workers who wait
imum wage from $7.25 an hour, which I starvation wages—in this country. on tables are telling us.
believe is a starvation wage, to $15 an I would love to hear anybody get up One Fair Wage, a grassroots organi-
hour over a 5-year period—5 years. here and tell me that they could live zation representing service employ-
I think there has been some on seven and a quarter an hour, they ees—waiters, waitresses, and others—
miscommunication around here, and could live on 8 bucks an hour, they has just delivered to the White House a
there are people who are saying it is could live on 9 bucks an hour. You petition with 140,000 signatures on it
going from 7.25 to 15 bucks an hour in can’t. And I have been all over this from service workers who are demand-
1 year. Not true. It goes from 7.25 to country, and I have talked to workers ing that they receive the same min-
9.50, to 11, to 12.50, to 14, to 15 dollars who are making 10, 11 bucks an hour, imum wage as every other worker in
an hour. So anyone who says we are with tears streaming down their this country. And polling among serv-
raising the minimum wage in 1 year, in cheeks, telling me what it is like to ice employees and nonservice employ-
the midst of a pandemic, to $15 an hour work for starvation wages and try to ees also supports the reality that
is simply not telling the truth. raise your kids. Americans want our waiters and our
This amendment is similar to a bill So the time is long overdue. The last waitresses and other service employees
which I have brought forth, the Raise time this Congress passed an increase to get a fair and equal minimum wage,
the Wage Act, which I am proud to say in the minimum wage was in the year similar to what other low-wage work-
has been cosponsored by some 38 Mem- 2007—2007. It is time to raise the min- ers are receiving.
bers of the Senate, and this is also imum wage. It is time to raise the min- Now, I have heard from some who tell
similar to legislation which has al- imum wage to a living wage of 15 bucks me that people who are waiting on ta-
ready passed the U.S. House of Rep- an hour. bles—and, by the way, I was one of the
resentatives. And I thank them, and I Now, later on today or this evening, worst waiters in the history of the
thank my friends in the Progressive as part of my support for this enor- country, but I was a waiter a long time
Caucus in the House for doing a great mously important piece of legislation— ago. I know a little bit about it. I am
job in pushing this legislation. and, as chairman of the Budget Com- hearing from some that waiters and
I should also add, for my Senate col- mittee, I will be speaking more about waitresses, they are doing really well,
leagues, that this legislation raising why we need to raise the minimum making a whole lot of money, and they
the minimum wage is supported by wage, but I want to focus on one part of don’t need an increase in the minimum
some 300 national organizations, in- the minimum wage bill that I have wage.
cluding the 12 million members of the been hearing a little bit about in the Let’s be clear. When you talk about
AFL–CIO and virtually every major last couple of days from some of my the restaurant and the hotel industry,
union in this country. This is some- colleagues, and that is the provision to you are talking about mass discrep-
thing that unions like the SEIU, one of raise the tipped wage. ancies in the kind of incomes that peo-
the largest unions in this country, Now, the tipped wage, so everybody ple receive. I will not deny it for a sec-
have been fighting for, for a very long understands it, is the Federal min- ond. My daughter worked in a fancy
time. imum wage that applies to waiters and restaurant. She did quite well.
I should also add here that while waitresses, barbers, hair stylists, park- So if you are working in a hotel in a
raising the minimum wage is going to ing attendants, and others. Fellow fancy restaurant where you have a
impact every low-wage worker in this Americans, do you know what that menu that is quite expensive—you have
country—because African-American Federal minimum wage today is for got a $100 meal and your 20 percent is
and Latino workers often are earning that person who waits on your table at 20 bucks, you are waiting on three or
poverty wages—it significantly im- a restaurant? It is $2.12 an hour. Yeah, four tables—you are doing OK. I don’t
pacts the lives of the minority commu- you heard me correctly: $2.12 an hour. deny that for a second, and I wish those
nities as well. That is why, among so And the proposal, as part of the min- waiters and waitresses who work so
many other organizations supporting imum wage bill, the amendment that I hard continued success.
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this amendment, it is supported by the will be offering, is that tipped min- But let us be clear. Not everybody
Leadership Conference on Civil and imum wage would go up from $2.12 an works in a fancy restaurant or a big
Human Rights; it is supported by the hour to $14.95 over a 7-year period, hotel which has a high-priced menu.
National Organization for Women be- longer than the overall national min- You have got a whole lot of people
cause, again, when we talk about low- imum wage would go up. And this is working in diners, working in working-
wage workers, we are talking about the something that clearly is desperately class restaurants where the menu is
minority community, we are talking needed. not that fancy, and maybe it is $10 for
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March 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1047
lunch or $8 for lunch. Twenty percent qualify for unemployment. So we are stand with working families, and the
of that is $1.60, on an $8 meal. talking now, in this bill, of substan- most important thing that we can do is
Let us be very clear that, when we tially increasing unemployment—a $400 to raise the minimum wage to a living
talk about waiters and waitresses, supplement—and we are talking about wage. This is what Joe Biden believes.
some 70 percent of tipped workers in extending it to late August. But tip This is what the Democratic platform
this country are women, who suffer workers, whose minimum wage is so stands for, and this is what at least 38
from three times the poverty rate of low, do not even qualify for unemploy- cosponsors of the Raise the Wage Act
the rest of the U.S. workforce. In other ment. also believe.
words, women who are waitressing In an industry where more than 6 So here we are at a pivotal moment.
have a three times higher poverty rate million workers have lost their jobs— The working class is being decimated.
than the rest of the U.S. workforce. and, obviously, we all know the res- People are struggling to feed their
Their tips are not keeping up with taurant and hotel industry have been kids. We have to raise wages in this
their needs. These women waitresses terribly hard-hit by the pandemic— country, and we have to raise the
use food stamps at double the rate of more than 60 percent of subminimum wages of tip workers.
other workers in this country. wage earners could not get unemploy- I will be back later for more on this.
And, importantly, and increasingly ment benefits because the State and I yield the floor.
so—amazingly, during this pandemic— Federal Government denied them bene- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. VAN
waitresses suffer from the highest rates fits for not making enough earned in- HOLLEN). The Senator from Vermont.
of sexual harassment of workers in any come. You all got that? Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask
industry because they are forced to tol- So we are talking about the need— unanimous consent to have printed in
erate inappropriate customer behavior and I certainly agree with that—to ex- the RECORD a letter dated February 22,
to feed their families through the tips pand and extend unemployment bene- 2021, about tip wages, signed by hun-
that they get. fits, but you have a whole lot of work- dreds of organizations.
We are hearing stories where people ers who are earning starvation wages There being no objection, the mate-
in a restaurant, guys in a restaurant who are not going to be eligible for un- rial was ordered to be printed in the
say: Well, take your mask off. You employment. RECORD, as follows:
want a tip; let me see how you look. At the same time, as restaurants re-
FEBRUARY 22, 2021.
And, clearly, this is unacceptable be- open, the CDC has declared restaurants DEAR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: The under-
havior. as the most dangerous place to work. signed organizations enthusiastically sup-
I also want to point out that the idea We all know that. It is obvious. You port the Raise the Wage Act of 2021, as intro-
of moving tip wages to the same level are coming face-to-face with your cus- duced in the Senate by Senators Bernie
over a period—in this case, 7 years— tomers. And now servers, in the midst Sanders (VT) and Patty Murray (WA), and in
of that, are responsible—you are a the House by Representative Robert C.
moving it to the same level as the
waiter, you are a waitress, and you are ‘‘Bobby’’ Scott (VA).
overall minimum wage is not a radical If enacted, the Raise the Wage Act of 2021
idea. It ain’t a Bernie Sanders idea. It now responsible—for telling somebody
would:
already exists. I don’t know if people who walks into your restaurant that
Gradually raise the federal minimum wage
know this. It already exists in seven they must socially distance themselves to $15 an hour by 2025;
States. So in seven States, right now, or wear a mask. It is not necessarily a After 2025, adjust the minimum wage each
people who work in the service indus- comfortable position for a worker deal- year to keep pace with growth in the median
try—waiters, waitresses, and others— ing with a hostile customer. wage—a measure of wages for typical work-
I would also add, as all of us are in- ers;
are getting the same minimum wage as
creasingly aware of sexual harassment Phase out the egregious subminimum wage
all the workers in those States. And for tipped workers, which has been frozen at
in general in this country, that the res-
those States are California, Oregon, a meager $2.13 since 1991; and
taurant industry has some of the high-
Washington, Nevada, Montana, Alaska, Sunset unacceptable subminimum wages
est rates of sexual harassment. In a
and Minnesota. Seven States already for workers with disabilities employed in
workplace where 70 percent of the sheltered workshops and for workers under
pay their service industry workers the
workers are women and where they age 20.
same wages as they pay other min- rely on their customers to determine
imum-wage workers. Since fast-food workers in New York City
their wages because of tips, women are first walked off the job in 2012, demanding a
And I should point out that all of
often expected to withstand sexual har- $15 minimum wage and the right to form a
these States experienced a growth in union, workers across the country have com-
assment in order to get those tips.
the number of small businesses and res- In States where the subminimum pletely changed the conversation and poli-
taurants after they abolished the tip wage has been eliminated, sexual har- tics surrounding the minimum wage. Yet, 20
minimum wage. So they abolished the assment has been cut substantially be- states still have not raised their minimum
tip minimum wage; it did not drive res- wages beyond the paltry $7.25 federal min-
cause women no longer have to take
taurants out of business. In fact, in imum wage, and many more have only mar-
that. It is not an all-or-nothing propo- ginally higher minimum wages than the fed-
those States where the tip minimum sition. eral floor—despite clearly negative impacts
wage equaled the general minimum If you ask me again what the major on workers across the country. Those nega-
wage, we saw a growth in the number economic crisis facing this country is, tive impacts also disproportionately affect
of restaurants. we know unemployment is sky-high, Black and brown workers, who have histori-
And, furthermore, to respond to an- we know income inequality is unac- cally been segregated into the lowest paying
other piece of misinformation, waiters ceptable, and so many other factors are occupations in the U.S., and who are leading
and waitresses in these States received out there about the economy, but at the Fight for $15 and a union.
more in tips, not less. So the mythol- the top of my list is the fact that tens Congress should heed the demands of work-
ogy that is going around here is that if ers of color, communities, and their con-
of millions of workers in the richest stituents and waste no more time in passing
we raise the minimum wage for waiters country on Earth are barely making it. the Raise the Wage Act. Raising the federal
and waitresses, when somebody walks They are having a hard time feeding minimum wage to $15 an hour and elimi-
into a restaurant, they are going to be their kids. They are having a hard time nating subminimum wages for tipped work-
thinking, ‘‘Oh, my goodness, this per- paying their rent. Many of them get in- ers, youth workers, and workers with dis-
son is making 10, 12 bucks an hour; I adequate or no health insurance at all. abilities is a long overdue, human rights im-
am going to leave less of a tip,’’ ain’t Now, year after year, the American perative and a critical racial and gender jus-
the way the world works. tice issue—one that will make a crucial dif-
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people—I think, correctly—perceive
Let me also say a word about how the that this Congress bows to the wishes ference in the lives of millions of workers
pandemic, which has impacted workers and in communities across the country.
of the rich and the powerful, gives tax
Gradually raising the federal minimum
in every sector—but how it has im- breaks to people who don’t need it. We wage to $15 by 2025 would lift pay for nearly
pacted tip workers. In many States deregulate companies that should be 32 million workers—21% of the U.S. work-
where the tip minimum wage still ex- regulated, et cetera, et cetera. force. Affected workers who work year-round
ists, tip workers—and this is rather un- In this moment of economic and would earn an extra $3,300 a year—enough to
believable—tip workers did not even health crisis, now is the time for us to make a tremendous difference in the life of a
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S1048 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 4, 2021
cashier, home health aide, or fast-food work- had been raised at the same pace as produc- ciation of Florida; Feeding America Eastern
er who today struggles to get by on less than tivity growth since the late 1960s, it would be Wisconsin; Feeding Texas; Fight for $15 and
$25,000 a year. A majority (59%) of workers over $20 an hour today. a Union; First Focus Campaign for Children;
whose total family income is below the pov- In fact, an immediate increase in the min- Florida Policy Institute; Food Bank of
erty line would receive a pay increase if the imum wage is necessary for the health of our Northern Nevada; Food Chain Workers Alli-
minimum wage were raised to $15 by 2025. economy. A $15 minimum wage by 2025 would ance; Food for People; Food Research & Ac-
Raising the minimum wage to $15 and generate $107 billion in higher wages for tion Center (FRAC); For Our Future Action
eliminating subminimum wages will be par- workers and would also benefit communities Fund; Freedom Network USA; Friends Com-
ticularly significant for workers of color and across the country. Because underpaid work- mittee on National Legislation.
women workers, who have historically been ers spend much of their extra earnings, this Fund for Community Reparations for Au-
pushed into the most underpaid paid jobs injection of wages will help stimulate the tistic People of Color’s Interdependence,
through occupational segregation. Passing economy and spur greater business activity Survival, & Empowerment; Futures Without
the Raise the Wage Act would help narrow and job growth. Violence Gender Justice; Georgetown Law
both the racial pay gap and the gender pay It is long past time to pass the Raise the Center; Granite State Interfaith Action
gap. Of those whose pay would increase, Wage Act of 2021—and we call on all Mem- Fund; Granite State Organizing Project;
nearly 6 in 10 (59%) are women and more bers of Congress to finally give nearly 32 mil- Groundwork Action; Hawaii Appleseed Cen-
than a quarter (28%) have children. One- lion workers the raise they have fought so ter for Law & Economic Justice; Hawaii
third (31%) of African-American workers and hard to secure. Children’s Action Network Speaks!; HBCU
one-quarter (26%) of Latinx workers would A Better Balance; Action Center on Race & Collective; Hispanic Federation; Hometown
get a raise if the federal minimum wage were the Economy; Adelante Alabama Worker Action; Hunger Solutions Minnesota; Hunger
increased to $15. Almost one in four (23%) of Center; Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Task Force; ICNA Council for Social Justice;
those people who would benefit is a Black or Inc. (ABLE); Advocates for Better Children’s Illinois Hunger Coalition; In The Public In-
Latina woman. African-American workers Diets; Advocates for Justice and Education, terest; Indiana Institute for Working Fami-
and Latinx workers are paid 10–15% less than Inc; AFL–CIO; AIDS Alabama; Alabama lies; Indivisible; Island Empire Labor Coun-
white workers with the same characteristics, Arise; Alameda County Community Food cil AFL-CIO.
so the Raise the Wage Act would deliver the Bank; Alianza Nacional de Campesinas; Institute for Women’s Policy research;
largest benefits to Black and Latinx work- Amara Legal Center; American-Arab Anti- International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Is-
ers—about $3,500 annually for a year-round Discrimination Committee (ADC); American lamic Relief USA; Islamophobia Studies Cen-
worker. The Raise the Wage Act will also de- Association of University Women (AAUW); ter; Jobs with Justice of East Tennessee;
liver increased wages to an estimated 1.45 American Federation of State, County and Just Economics of Western North Carolina;
million LGBTQ workers and would reduce Municipal Employees (AFSCME); American Justice at Work; Justice at Work (PA); Jus-
the proportion of male same-sex couples liv- Public Health Association; Americans for tice for Migrant Women; Juvenile Law Cen-
ing in poverty by one-third and female same- Democratic Action (ADA); Americans for ter; Kentucky Center for Economic Policy;
sex couples by almost one-half. There would Tax Fairness; AnitaB.org; Asian Pacific Kentucky Equal Justice Center; Labor Coun-
be similar reductions in poverty among American Labor Alliance, AFL–CIO. cil for Latin American Advancement; Lamb-
LGBTQ people who are not in same-sex cou- Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based da Legal; Land Stewardship Project;
ple households, with the largest gains for Violence; Asset Funders Network; Autistic LatinoLEAD; The Leadership Conference on
those with the highest rates of poverty— Self Advocacy Network; Be A Hero; Bend the Civil and Human Rights; Legal Aid at Work;
Black, Latinx, bisexual, and transgender Arc Jewish Action; Bet Tzedek Legal Serv- Legal Aid Justice Center; Legal Aid Society
adults. ices; Black Visions; Block Builderz; Border of the District of Columbia.
Raising wages has never been more urgent Workers United; Bridgeways; Business for a Legal Momentum, the Women’s Legal De-
than during this pandemic. Essential and Fair Minimum Wage; Business For Good San fense and Education Fund; Living United for
frontline workers make up a majority of Diego; CAAP; California Association of Food Change in Arizona (LUCHA); Long Beach Al-
those who would benefit from a $15 minimum Banks; Campaign for America’s Future; Car- liance for Clean Energy; Louisiana Budget
wage. Members of Congress should do more ing Across Generations; CASA; Casa de Projet; Macomb Immigrant Service Center;
than pay lip service to front line workers; Esperanza: National Latin@ Network for Maine People’s Alliance; MANA, A National
they should make sure they get higher Healthy Families and Communities; Center Latina Organization; Maryland Hunger Solu-
wages. The median pay is well under $15 an for American Progress; Center for Disability tions; Massachusetts Employment Lawyers
hour for many essential and frontline jobs; Rights. Association; Massachusetts Law Reform In-
examples include substitute teachers, nurs- Center for Economic and Policy Research; stitute; Meriden Congregational Church,
ing assistants, and home health aides. More Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); UCC; Michigan Immigrant Rights Center;
than one-third (35%) of those working in res- Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Michigan League for Public Policy; Michigan
idential or nursing care facilities would see Research; Center for Popular Democracy; United; Milwaukee Area Service & Hospi-
their pay increase, in addition to home Center for Public Representation; Center for tality Workers Organization; Minnesota
health aides and other health care support Workers’ Rights; Center on Policy Initia- Voice; Mississippi National Organization for
workers. One in three retail sector workers tives; Centro de los Derechos del Migrante; Women; Missouri Faith Voices; Missouri
(36%) would get a raise, including 42% of Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha Jobs with Justice; MomsRising.
workers in grocery stores. More than four-in- (CTUL); Centro Legal de la Raza; Change Mothers Outreach Network; Muslim Advo-
ten (43%) of janitors, housekeepers, and Machine; Charlotte Center for Legal Advo- cates; NALC; National Action Network; Na-
other cleaning workers would benefit. Nearly cacy; Chicago Foundation for Women; Child tional Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the
two-thirds (64%) of servers, cooks, and other Care Aware® of America; Children’s Defense Good Shepherd; National Association of
food preparation workers would see their Fund; Civic Ventures; Clean Up the River Councils on Developmental Disabilities; Na-
earnings rise by $5,800 on a year-round basis. Environment (CURE); Clearinghouse on tional Association of Social Workers; Na-
For 6 million tipped food service workers, a Women’s Issues; Coalition for Labor Union tional Black Justice Coalition; National
majority female workforce, the subminimum Women, San Francisco; Coalition of Labor CAPACD-National Coalition for Asian Pa-
wage for tipped workers is a legacy of slav- Union Women. cific American Community Development;
ery that has been a source of poverty, sexual Coalition on Human Needs; Coalition to National Center for Law and Economic Jus-
harassment, and exposure to health risks Abolish Slavery & Trafficking; Communica- tice; National Center for Lesbian Rights; Na-
and hostile customers during the pandemic. tions Workers of America (CWA); Commu- tional Coalition Against Domestic Violence;
Ten million workers in health care, edu- nity Enabler Developer, Inc.; Community National Coalition for the Homeless; Na-
cation, construction, and manufacturing Legal Services, Philadelphia; Community tional Council for Occupational Safety and
would see a raise—representing nearly one- Organizing and Family Issues (COFI)/ Health; National Council of Churches of
third (31%) of the workers who would see a POWER–PAC IL; Congregation of Our Lady Christ in the USA (NCC); National Council of
raise. of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Prov- Jewish Women; National Council on Aging;
Contrary to what opponents of a living inces; Connecticut Women’s Education and National Disabled Law Students Association;
wage would argue, our economy can more Legal Fund (CWEALF); CRLA Foundation; National Disability Rights Network (NDRN).
than afford a $15 minimum wage. Workers DC Dorothy Day Catholic Worker; Demos; National Domestic Violence Resource Cen-
earning the current federal minimum wage Disability Rights DC at University Legal ter; National Domestic Workers Alliance;
are paid less per hour in real dollars than Services; Domestic Violence Legal Empower- National Employment Law Project; National
their counterparts were paid 50 years ago. ment and Appeals Project; Economic Oppor- Employment Lawyers Association; National
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Businesses can afford to pay the most under- tunity Institute; Economic Policy Institute; Employment Lawyers Association—Eastern
paid worker in the U.S. today substantially Encuentro; Endangered Species Coalition; Pennsylvania; National Equality Action
more than what her counterpart was paid Equal Justice Center; Equal Pay Today; Team (NEAT); National Farm to School Net-
half a century ago. The economy has grown Equal Rights Advocates. work; National Health Care for the Homeless
dramatically over the past 50 years, and Equality Labs; Equity Advocates; Etowah Council; National Network to End Domestic
workers are producing more from each hour County Women’s Democratic Club; Etowah Violence; National Organization for Women;
of work, with productivity nearly doubling Democrats Club; Every Texan; Fair Work National Partnership for Women & Families;
since the late 1960s. If the minimum wage Center; Family Equality; Farmworker Asso- National WIC Association; National Women’s
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March 4, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1049
Health Network; National Women’s Law land; Women’s Institute for Secure Retire- stroyed. We had 10 Republicans, I
Center; Native Women Lead; NC-NELA ment; Women’s Law Project; WOMEN’S think, go to the White House to offer
(North Carolina National Employment Law WAY; Worker Justice Center of New York; around $700 billion that would extend
Project); Network for Victim Recovery DC; Workers Defense Action Fund; Working
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Jus- Families Party; Working Washington; Work-
checks, that would do vaccines, would
tice; New Earth; New Georgia Project. place Fairness; Workplace Justice Project at do a lot of things that we think we
New Hampshire Youth Movement; New Loyola Law Clinic; Worksafe; Young need to still do, but that went nowhere.
Haven Legal Assistance Association; New lnvincibles; YWCA USA; ZERO TO THREE. Another point for the American peo-
Mexico Center on Law and Policy; New Orle- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ple: We are going to a partisan ap-
ans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice; ator from South Carolina is recognized. proach to COVID for the first time. I
North Carolina Justice Center; Northwest went over the amount of money we
f
Harvest; Northwest Workers’ Justice
have appropriated to the COVID prob-
Project; Oasis Legal Services; Ohio Orga- AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF
nizing Collaborative; Oklahoma Policy Insti- lems the country has experienced, and
2021
tute; One Fair Wage; One Fair Wage Action; here is what I want you to understand.
One Pennsylvania; Operation Food Search; Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I will We are going to spend $1.9 trillion in a
Our Revolution; Oxfam America; Parent try to be relatively brief here. I under- partisan fashion. I think a lot of it is
Voices CA; Partnership for America’s Chil- stand the bill is being printed now, and very much unrelated to COVID simply
dren; Pathways for Prosperity Coalition, we will have a vote here fairly shortly. because they have the power to do it.
Fayetteville, NC; Patriotic Millionaires. I just want to set the stage for my They now have the power of the Fed-
Pennsylvania AFL-CIO; People For the view—my point of view. I think I speak eral Government, complete power—
American Way; People’s Action; People’s for most people in our conference on
Parity Project; Philadelphia Drivers’ Union; control of the Senate, control of the
what we are trying to do here. House, control of the White House.
Physicians for Reproductive Health; Policy Up until now, we have been able, as a
Matters Ohio; Poligon Education Fund; They have abandoned bipartisanship.
Power Coalition for Equity and Justice;
body, to work together on COVID re- We had the Presidency and the Senate;
Preble Street Maine Hunger Initiative; Pro- lief. And the question is, Why can’t we
they had the House. We were able to
gressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada; do it again? I think I know the answer,
work together. Now they have it all.
Prosperity Now; Public Citizen; Public Jus- but I want to remind people what we
They are running us over, literally,
tice Center; RAISE High Road Restaurants; have done in a bipartisan fashion.
On March 5, 2020, when we had Presi- legislatively here.
Raise the Wage PA; Reframe Health and Jus-
tice; Restaurant Opportunities Center of DC;
I think we have made reasonable of-
dent Trump, a Republican Senate, and
Restaurant Opportunities Centers United; fers. Nobody is willing to compromise.
a Democratic House, we approved $8
RESULTS DC/MD. They see this as a moment to do a lot
billion, 96 to 1, and we were just begin-
Results for America; Reviving the Islamic
ning to understand the virus; March 18, of things they have been wanting to do
Sisterhood for Empowerment (RISE); Rights for years that have nothing to do with
& Democracy NH; Rights & Democracy VT; a few weeks later, $355 billion, 90 to 8;
March 25, $1.9 trillion, 96 to 0. COVID.
River VAlley Organizing; ROC-Chicago; ROC- Another problem they have, in my
Minnesota; ROC-New York; ROC-Pennsyl- So from March 5 to March 25, we
passed three bills, well over $2 trillion, view, is you are appropriating $1.9 tril-
vania; San Francisco-Marin Food Bank;
Saverlife; Sciencecorps; SEIU Wisconsin 96 to 1, 90 to 8, and 96 to 0. So I would lion, most of it not related to COVID,
State Council; Service Employees Inter- argue to the American people that it is and we haven’t spent the money we
national Union; Shriver Center on Poverty not like the Republican Party and the have allocated in the past. So adminis-
Law; Sierra Club; Social Justice Associates Democratic Party can’t work together trative actions—there is still $200 bil-
of South Church, Portsmouth NH; Southwest lion that we haven’t spent. Legislative
when it comes to COVID relief.
Detroit Immigrant and Refugee Center; actions, $3.1 trillion we have spent. We
But now that the Democrats have the
Southwest Women’s Law Center; Step Up have appropriated $4.1 trillion. There is
Louisiana. House, the Senate, and the White
TakeAction Minnesota; Tax March; Temp House, there seems to be no desire to still $1 trillion that hasn’t been spent
Worker Justice; Terence Crutcher Founda- go down that road, and I will talk yet.
tion; The 99% Pennsylvania campaign; The about that in a minute. The Federal Reserve actions allowed
AIDS Institute; The Commonwealth Insti- April 21, 2020, we did $355 billion $5.9 trillion to be allocated to help
tute for Fiscal Analysis; The Employee more. That was by voice vote. Spend- businesses that were failing. They
Rights Advocacy Institute For Law & Policy ing $355 by voice vote is pretty aston- spent $2.8 trillion.
(The Institute); The International Union, ishing; $1.9 trillion, 96 to 0 is pretty as- The vaccine is getting out by the
United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricul- day. We are hopeful that we can change
tural Implement Workers of America (UAW);
tonishing. September 30, 2020, 84 to 10.
The Legal Aid Society; The National Do- December 21, just a few months ago, we the course of the virus, get people back
mestic Violence Hotline; The New York spent another trillion, 92 to 6. to work.
Womens Foundation; The Partnership for Why do I bring this up? I bring it up In this bill, they do a lot of things
Working Families; The Rebuild, Overcome, to show there is plenty of bipartisan- unrelated to COVID because they can.
and Rise (ROAR) Center of UMB; The West ship around COVID relief, and that bi- Why are we opposed to this? Because it
Side Commons; The Women and Girls Foun- partisanship has stopped. President is a lot of money that is being spent on
dation of Southwest Pennsylvania; The Biden made a big deal about wanting to things unrelated to COVID. We haven’t
Women’s Building; TIME’S UP Now; Ujima spent the money we appropriated in
bring the country together and find
Inc.: The National Center on Violence
common ground. In the one area that past efforts yet, but we are going to
Against Women in the Black Community;
UnidosUS. we actually had common ground, we spend $1.9 trillion more. I think it is
Unitarian Universalist Action New Hamp- have abandoned common ground to very unfortunate, and I hope the Amer-
shire; Unitarian Universalist Justice PA; deal with a $1.9 trillion package just ican people understand that this is
United Food and Commercial Workers Inter- months after we authorized $1.04 tril- spending money for the sake of spend-
national Union; United State of Women; lion. ing money, not to combat COVID.
United Steelworkers; United Valley Inter- Here is the problem I think Repub- Let me give you some examples of
faith (UVIP); United Vision for Idaho; Unity what is in this bill. The minimum wage
licans have. Of the $1.9 trillion being
Fellowship of Christ Church NYC; URGE:
Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity; proposed now, about 90 percent of it dropped out. Now is the worst possible
Virginia Poverty Law Center; Voices for has very little to do with COVID. It is time, I think, to go to $15-an-hour min-
Progress; Washington Lawyers Committee a liberal wish list. The reason I know it imum wage. Just think about your own
for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs; Wash- is a liberal wish list is that Senator communities. How many restaurants
ington Wage Claim Project; Washtenaw and hotels have had to reduce or close
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
SCHUMER said 15 times yesterday—
Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights; about 15 times—that it wasn’t a liberal down because of COVID restrictions?
West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy; wish list. If Senator SCHUMER is saying We are finally beginning to come out of
Western Center on Law and Poverty; West- it a bit. To add a $15-an-hour mandate,
it is not a liberal wish list, it is a lib-
ern Pennsylvania Employment Lawyers As-
sociation. eral wish list. I will be able to prove doubling the minimum wage, would be
Wildfire: Igniting Community Action to that in more detail. increasing the cost of doing business
End Poverty in Arizona; Women Employed; That is the history of bipartisanship. after the government at the State and
Womenpreneurs; Women’s Fund of Rhode Is- That bipartisanship has been de- local levels shut the businesses down.
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