As today’s Senate vote approaches, Republicans in Congress seem dead set against giving hardworking Americans earning the minimum wage a small raise to $10.10/hour. But Congressional Republicans aren’t alone in their opposition to this commonsense proposal, even though a December 2013 poll found that two-thirds of the American people support increasing the minimum wage. Republican candidates around the country – from Bruce Rauner in Illinois to Rick Scott in Florida to Thom Tillis in North Carolina – have at some point expressed their opposition to raising the minimum wage.
Meet the Republicans who are WRONG on the minimum wage in American Bridge’s new video and check out Bridge Project’s January report for details on the Congressional Republicans who previously supported raising the minimum wage.
“Whether they’re already in Congress or running for governor, Republicans across the country are flat out wrong in their opposition to raising the minimum wage for hardworking Americans. This legislation would help families and workers make ends meets and improve their quality of life, and Republicans in the Senate should take a hard look at the majority of the country that supports raising the minimum wage before casting their no votes today,” said Brad Woodhouse, President of American Bridge 21st Century.
BACKGROUND:
Rick Scott: “When I Hear A Politician Say That We Have To Raise The Minimum Wage So Working Families Can Make Ends Meet, I Cringe” According to The Tampa Bay Times, “Count Gov. Rick Scott among those who are dubious about the Democrats’ proposal. ‘When I hear a politician say that we have to raise the minimum wage so working families can make ends meet, I cringe, because I know that statement is a lie,’ Scott said via email. ‘Even if we did raise the minimum wage, working families will still not be able to make ends meet on those jobs. We need good jobs that lead to good careers for our families and that’s what I am focused on.’” [Tampa Bay Times, 1/8/14]
Sen. Marco Rubio: “I Don’t Think A Minimum Wage Law Works.” According to the Washington Post, “In his response to the State of the Union on Tuesday night, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) laid out his own vision, not a direct rebuttal of President Obama’s proposals. But on CBS Wednesday morning he came out against Obama’s push to raise the minimum wage to $9 an hour. ‘I support people making more than $9. I want people to make as much as they can. I don’t think a minimum wage law works,’ Rubio told Charlie Rose. ‘We all support — I certainly do — having more taxpayers, meaning more people who are employed. And I want people to make a lot more than $9 – – $9 is not enough. The problem is you can’t do that by mandating it in the minimum wage laws. Minimum wage laws have never worked in terms of having the middle class attain more prosperity.’ What works, he said, is helping the private sector grow.” [Washington Post, 2/13/13]
Bruce Rauner: “I Am Adamantly, Adamantly Against Raising The Minimum Wage.” According to a video of Bruce Rauner at an Illinois GOP Gubernatorial Candidates Forum hosted by the Ford County GOP at Railside Golf Course in Gibson City, Il., “I am adamantly, adamantly against raising the minimum wage.” [Ford County GOP Gubernatorial Candidates Forum, 9/7/13]
Rick Snyder: “I’m Not Spending Time On Minimum Wage As An Issue.” According to a video of Rick Snyder giving a speech at the Ross Business School, “Most of minimum wage discussion is around ballot proposal, I’m not spending time on minimum wage as an issue because I’m trying to get higher paying jobs.” [Ross Business School, 2/10/14]
Chris Christie: “I Vetoed A Minimum Wage Bill.” According to a video of Chris Christie at a Town Hall in Fairfield, “On minimum wage; what is your stance? Christie: I vetoed a minimum wage bill as Governor last year. They put it on the ballot. You all did it. You also attached an inflation adjuster. Crazy way to do business. As far as nationwide is concerned, I have the same opinion. All kinds of things are being loaded on to people. You have people talking about earned and paid sick leave. My concern is that it is something that will cause people to say I am not hiring. That is what happens when people don’t want to make hard decisions.” [Fairfield Town Hall, 4/9/14]
Rand Paul: Admitted That He Had “Not Necessarily” Thought About Whether Or Not There Should Be A Minimum Wage But Knew That Raising It Caused More Unemployment. According to a video of an interview with Senator Rand Paul and Wolf Blitzer on CNN’s Crossfire, “Paul reacted to the State of the Union, in a near-repeat of his Fox News appearance; notable for his unwillingness to admit that he thinks there should be a minimum wage. Paul staunchly defended the oil & gas industry and called for lower taxes, then refused to say whether or not he thinks there should be a federal minimum wage. Wolf Blitzer said to Paul, “You’re a United States Senator. You’ve thought about whether or not there should be a minimum wage.” Paul answered, “Not necessarily. But what I have thought about is raising the minimum wage causes more unemployment…” [CNN Crossfire, 1/28/14]
Rick Perry: “I Don’t Think The Federal Government In Washington, D.C. Needs To Be Setting” The Minimum Wage. According to an interview of Rick Perry by Iowa Press Television, “Des Moines Register reporter Kathie Obradovich: I saw you on CNN, say–on Crossfire saying you didn’t think the government had any business setting a minimum wage. Rick Perry: I don’t. Obradovich: So if it were up to you, would you repeal the minimum wage? Perry: Here’s, I think you leave that to the small businessmen and women. The competitive nature of the free market works really well. And the idea that the government needs to be coming in and tellin you what that wage is going to be. And because—what we’re seeing with this president is that he’s using this to say that we’re gonna raise your, your—the amount of money that you’re going to make. Obradovich: So yes to a repeal, you would actually repeal the minimum wage? Perry: I don’t know if I would repeal it or not, I don’t think that the federal government in Washington, D.C. needs to be sitting… setting, rather, the standard out there. I think it’s left to the small businessmen and women of the country, makes a lot more sense to me than Washington, D.C.” [Iowa Press Television, 2/28/14]
Joni Ernst: “I Don’t Believe The Federal Government Should Be Involved In Setting The Minimum Wage. According to a U.S. Republican Senate primary forum hosted by the National Federation of Independent Business, “Question: Have you ever worked for a minimum wage job? Second of all, what should our minimum wage be? Joni Ernst: Thank you. Yes I have worked for a minimum wage job before. […] So, I do believe the minimum wage has its place, but I am not willing to buy into the fact that it is a federal level solution. I do think that the way we grow our economy is by creating those jobs and putting more people to work. So the federal minimum wage is really a diversion from where we need to go and really what we need to be talking about. I do think believe its best left up to the states. Our state economies are much different from state to state, so, I don’t believe the federal government should be involved in setting the minimum wage.” [National Federation of Independent Business Forum, 3/18/14]
Thom Tillis Agreed To Getting Rid Of The Minimum Wage If It Freed Up The Market To Create More Jobs. According to a video of Thom Tillis filing for Senate in the Raleigh, North Carolina State Board Of Elections, “QUESTION: If the market should drive it, should we get rid of the current minimum wage? TILLIS: I’m sorry, say that again? QUESTION: If the market should drive the minimum wage decision about how much people should make, should we get rid of the current minimum wage? TILLIS: Yeah, I think you should consider anything that frees up the market to create more jobs. But the reality is that you can’t unring that bell, and it could create as much, you have to look at whether or not it creates destabilization in a market that’s already destabilized. But at the end of the day, the market drives the pay for the vast majority of the positions that businesses hire for anyway.’” [Tillis At North Carolina State Board Of Elections, 2/26/14]
Steve King: The Minimum Wage Is The Government Interfering In The Relationship Between The Employer And The Employee. According to the Washington Times, “The minimum wage is [the] government interfering in between the relationship between the employer and the employee,’ he said. ‘I think that what we should have done is left the minimum wage alone and just let it drift away and let the economy grow the way that it [shall].” [Washington Times, 1/28/14]
Published: Apr 30, 2014