Butterfield applauds minimum wage hike


Washington, D.C. — Congressman G. K. Butterfield applauded today’s House vote to increase the federal minimum wage.

“Congress had a moral obligation to help the millions of people who work 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year but still find themselves far below the federal poverty line,” Butterfield said.

Butterfield pointed out that a full-time minimum wage worker currently earns just $10,712 per year – which is $5,888 less than the $16,600 needed to lift a family of three above the federal poverty threshold. He also said that while the costs of housing, healthcare, education and energy has been rising dramatically over the last nine years, the federal minimum wage has held steady.

It’s estimated that more than 13 million people would benefit from the approved increase in the minimum wage, including 1.8 million parents with children. Nearly three-quarters of minimum wage workers are adults over the age of 20, and many are responsible for over half of their family’s income.

Butterfield said that many states have already grasped the problem and have moved to address this situation. Twenty-three states, including North Carolina, have already raised minimum wages above the federal level.

Butterfield admitted that increasing the minimum wage alone won’t end the cycle of poverty in this country.

“There’s so much more that needs to be done, but this effort would be a start,” Butterfield said. “It’s long past time for a fair increase in the minimum wage.”

Butterfield was a co-sponsor of the bill which passed by a 315-116 vote. The last increase took place in 1997 after President Clinton successfully prodded Congress. Republicans declined to approve another raise for the six years in which they held majorities in the House and Senate and President Bush was in the White House.

The bill must now be approved by the Senate before it can be sent to President Bush to be signed into law.