Biden pushes for minimum wage hike in White House weekly address
(CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden continued the Obama administration's call for an increase in the minimum wage for all workers.
Biden's Saturday address comes after President Barack Obama announced in February that in 2015 businesses with new or renewed federal contracts will have to pay their minimum wage workers $10.10 an hour.
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Obama mandated the increase through executive order. It will likely affect fewer than 500,000 workers, but the hope is it will spur Congress to approve the same increase for all workers.
In his address, Biden urged Americans to call their representatives in Congress who oppose the minimum wage increase.
"The big difference between giving a raise in the minimum wage instead of a tax break to the very wealthy is the minimum wage worker will go out and spend every penny of it because they're living on the edge," he said.
"They’ll spend it in the local economy. They need it to pay their electric bill, put gas in their automobile, to buy fundamental necessities. And this generates economic growth in their communities."
Biden hasn't given the White House weekly address since 2011 when he urged Congress to pass the American Jobs Act.
CNN's Dana Davidsen, Paul Steinhauser and CNNMoney's Jeanne Sahadi contributed to this report.
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Although the VP's premise that the "raise" will put every dollar back into the economy is true, fewer people will get those raises. Tax credits incent small business owners to hire more people and way more dollars are injected into the economy. The minimum wage narrative is only a Democratic talking point to deflect the conversation away from the real issues.
Teaklans who ran on jobs, jobs, jobs still don't get it.
One person with a low wage job who has to work two or three jobs vs one person making a decent salary working just one job.
This equates to (you don't have to be a mathematician) one or two more people now working the two jobs (higher wages,not course) this one person doesn't need anymore to put food on the table and a roof over his/her family's head.
See how simple it all is?
VP Biden recently told talk show host Rachel Ray he uses Clinique skin care. Now that is news you can use.
Raise this minimum wage to 12/ an hour. It is a must.
biden is a used car sales man as is the liberal/progressive clowns who have run the country down over the last 5 years... let them babble about their made up realities America see them now for wht they are Chicago pols to the core.
What does the governent taking more money from citizens have to do with how much a private employer is forced to pay an employee? When will the class warfare stop??
YES. Raise the minimum wage already.
Raising the minimum wage is the decent and moral thing to do. It is a win-win for everyone, workers and businesses, since it puts more money in circulation creating an increased demand for goods and services.
A minimum wage of over $10 per hour nationwide is stupid. In many small towns, $400 per week is still good money. To pay unskilled, beginning workers that much money means skilled, experienced workers will make $12, $15, or more, management even more, and we have a new round of high inflation.
Then, the $10 worker still can't afford to raise a family on the minimum wage, because goods, rent, and especially food, will cost more..
If you want to raise a family comfortably in this country, get educated and wait until you have a decent income.
Not only will every dollar go back into the economy since the middle and lower class tend to spend the majority of their income, but the amount of jobs which one must work to make ends meet will decrease to one opening jobs and time for citizens to shop or do whatever they need to.
For the Conservatives who worry about the increase in Safety Net Rolls, this is the solution, since it will lift many out of poverty they will no longer need to draw benefits, the turnover rate for businesses which has been rising will trend opposite since employees will feel valued and consumer sentiment will skyrocket since it will give our consumers confidence, confidence leads to decisions and decisions lead to sales. It is simple linear algebra but in the spectrum that is the economy knowing what way the line points or resides in is invaluable.
Look at the raising cost of living we are facing. Now a days, $100 dollar bill can't buy you much. However, corp business is racking record profits. The gap between rich and poor is widen.
stupid comments by people that have never had to work a minimum wage job. Economist show it helps the over all econmony when wages are increased. Repo trolls have been brain washed by the party of No to think( I use that term ) loosely )differently. Time to help the average guy get a head. Vote these creeps out.
@rla
biden is a used car sales man as is the liberal/progressive clowns who have run the country down over the last 5 years... let them babble about their made up realities America see them now for wht they are Chicago pols to the core
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More faux news talking points huh? really? The "libruls" have run the country in the ground the last 5 years? You have the memory of a fruit fly. Let me help, when the current administration took office, the country was broke, Wall street was in the tank, Americans lost billions in our 401K, i.e. the Dow down to 6700. We were losing 700K plus jobs per month, I was one of them. We were losing two wars, one of which was on a lie of WMD. Bin Laden was sending us messages from his mansion in Pakistan. .... just to name a few problems the "libruls" had to fix starting in 2009. I'm not calling you a dope but really??? Go lay down and take your meds
Really what Biden is trying to say is bind over we are ready to give it to somebody easle ?
The minimum wage should be set at a level that a full time worker is able to afford some form of housing and pay for the neccessities in life such as food, clothing and other required bills.
Sure he is for it. With all of his pensions he does not have to worry about inflation. He gets paid for having been a dunce for decades.
@ria, I bet you work in McDonald's flipping Hamburgers. You should know rather than babbling about five years motherless Economy and stock market is a live proof for much better condition, yes, your Bush years sent 30 billion dollars yearly to Pakistan knowingly Bin Laden was napping there, and Reagan Trickle-down was a huge FAILURE. I bet you are drunk or work for menial jobs as a cook or dish washer.
To all the naysayers out there who say raising the minimum wage will result in huge price hikes and cause employers to not hire, please explain then our nation's 40-year economic expansion from about 1940-1980?
The middle class grew and working people enjoyed living wages. We invested in infrastructure and manufactured goods here in the U.S. Starting in the 80s with failed trickle-down economics, offshoring of American jobs, runaway increases in executive pay and a lack of infrastructure investment have lead to years of middle class job loss and stagnant wages.
The answer? Bring back manufacturing; invest in our nation's infrastructure; and demand EXECUTIVES take a pay cut for once.
Otherwise, we'll just keep heading down the road to third-world status, where the top 1% own and control everything, there's no middle class and the rest of us compete for slave-wage jobs.
@bassman: "VP Biden recently told talk show host Rachel Ray he uses Clinique skin care. Now that is news you can use."
She asked a question and he answered it directly. If all you listen to are RWNJs, then I understand why you're not used to that.
@rla: "biden is a used car sales man as is the liberal/progressive clowns who have run the country down over the last 5 years... let them babble about their made up realities America see them now for wht they are Chicago pols to the core."
Nonsensical remark, typical of repub/tea bags who have shown they cling to failed policies and are filled with anger, fear, hatred and lies. Without President Obama's leadership these last 5 years, we would be in a Great Depression, at war with Iran and Syria and about to attack Russia.
You folks are the delusional clowns dragging the country down, Bub.
Whazzat?,
The Tea Party ran on jobs? So why did all the "Low Information" Voters vote against it. Obama basically sold the populous a Bill of Goods that didn't pan out. Everyone wants to make a little more. According to the Reports raising the Minimum Wage will cost a half million jobs? That's if you can find a job. Ralph Kramden drove a city bus in Brooklyn for 55 dollars a week all his life. Sure, let's all have a big party. Happy days are here again.
how many business start ups is this going to kill before they even have a chance to get off the ground? somebody starting a business will have the bar raised and it might now not be possible. can you say job killer? why not just raise it to $20/hr? what's that you say? it will drive some small companies out of business? well, this raise would do the same to a small subset of the number, let alone the start ups aborted in conception. (i know you liberals understand that)
obama and the democrats think you can legislate and mandate prosperity. you cannot not. you end up mandating mediocrity and poverty.
Obamacare and the endless regulatory costs heaped onto business weren't job killers enough, Obama and the Democrats demand that jobs creation be killed entirely with this nonsense. The fact of the matter is that this would not be an issue if the economy didn't suck so bad, FOR 5 YEARS, thanks to Obama and all these far left nutty ideas.
Yes, because burger flippers deserve at least $12/hour...if not more! lol what a joke
Yeah, sure why not raise it. It'll ONLY cost 500,000 jobs, MAYBE 1,000,000. Nearly one whole year's worth under the miserable Obama stagnation economy. Have these clowns left ANY stone unturned to kill the job market? Nope.
Effects of the $10.10 Option on Employment and Income
Once fully implemented in the second half of 2016, the $10.10 option would reduce total employment by about 500,000 workers, or 0.3 percent, CBO projects (see the table below). As with any such estimates, however, the actual losses could be smaller or larger; in CBO’s assessment, there is about a two-thirds chance that the effect would be in the range between a very slight reduction in employment and a reduction in employment of 1.0 million workers. "
- CBO Report