May 2014

The U.S. is known as the “Land of Opportunity,” where anyone who works hard and plays by the rules should be able to succeed. Equal opportunity for all is the foundation of this ideal and the key to growing our economy, strengthening the middle class, and securing a better future for following generations. Unfortunately, the sad reality is that our country is far from a level playing field.

That’s why Congress must take action to support an opportunity agenda, which means good jobs with decent wages, workforce protections, equal pay for equal work, and training that gives people the skills and tools they need to succeed. Passing the Paycheck Fairness Act should be a top priority on the Republican’s to-do list, but sadly it’s not, despite the fact that nationally the average woman continues to be paid 77 cents for every dollar the average man earns—and the average African American woman earns only 64 cents. This not only harms individual women, it hurts their families and our communities. With more and more families relying on women's wages to make ends meet, less take-home pay means women have less to spend on groceries, rent, child care, and other everyday needs. By closing the wage gap, we could cut the poverty rate in half for working women and their families. We cannot succeed as a country unless we give men and women equal pay for equal work.

But pay equity solves nothing if the equal pay that men and women receive isn’t enough to live on. Currently, a single mother or father with two children, working full time, year-round, at a minimum wage job, lives below the poverty level. That’s because the value of the minimum wage is at historic lows; today it is worth $2 less than it was in 1968 when adjusted for inflation. This is unacceptable. I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to earn a decent wage for a hard day's work, whether they’re a young worker trying to earn money for college or a single mother supporting a family. Currently, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour; and the Nevada minimum wage, established by the State, is $7.25 for those receiving health insurance benefits and $8.25 for those who do not.

I was proud to cosponsor the Fair Minimum Wage Act, introduced in the House of Representatives this March, but Republican Leadership refuses to bring this bill to a vote. If passed, it would increase the federal minimum wage for employees to $8.20 an hour three months after enactment; $9.15 an hour after one year; $10.10 an hour after two years. In addition, tipped workers would see their first federally required pay hike since 1991; and the minimum wage would be indexed to inflation every year to ensure that it does not again lose value over time. 

Raising the minimum wage to $10.10 would help millions of Americans.  According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, this increase would boost earnings for 16.5 million Americans and lift 900,000 people out of poverty.  It would help the eight million children who live in a household with at least one minimum wage worker. It would be particularly beneficial for women, who make up almost two thirds of minimum wage workers, and minorities, who make up 42 percent of these workers. Altogether, African American, Asian, and Hispanic workers would see their total wages rise by $16.5 billion. I have signed a Discharge Petition, which, with enough supporters, would bring this bill to a vote over Speaker Boehner’s objections.

Our Constitution does not begin, “We, the privileged” or “We, the well-connected.” It states simply, “We, the people.” Providing a chance at the American Dream for all who work for it is integral to this country’s DNA. So let’s honor and value hard work by raising the minimum wage and ensuring pay equity. By leveling the playing field, we can finally give everyone a shot at the American Dream and make this truly a wonderful Land of Opportunity.