In his latest EC from DC report, Fifth District Congressman Emanuel Cleaver talks about his continuing efforts to get an increase in the minimum wage passed.
People working full time jobs should not have to raise their families in poverty. This week I fought hard in Washington to bring the issue of raising the minimum wage to the House Floor for a vote. And I will continue to do this.
Why?
- Raising the minimum wage will increase pay for at least 25 million American workers.
- It will lift more than 1 million Americans out of poverty.
- That would directly affect 373,000 workers in Missouri.
- It would indirectly affect 578,000 workers in our state.
- That means almost 23% of Missouri’s workforce would be impacted by a minimum wage increase to $10.10 an hour.
- Hundreds of economists and experts agree that a higher minimum wage is good for our economy, our workers, and our long-term growth.
- It is estimated that an increase in the minimum wage would generate some $22 billion in increased economic activity across the country and add 85,000 jobs.
I signed onto a discharge petition to force a vote on increasing the minimum wage because I believe if allowed to vote, this would pass. It’s an essential part of building an economy that works for everyone.
Did you know?
- The average minimum wage worker is 35 years old.
- The average minimum wage worker is responsible for half of their family’s total income.
- More than half of all minimum wage earners are women.
The hardworking men and women in Missouri’s Fifth District are long overdue for a pay raise. A hard day’s work should result in earning a decent day’s pay. It is time.
In a portion of his latest EC from DC report, Fifth District Congressman Emanuel Cleaver says the House vote to suspend the debt ceiling was a bipartisan triumph that averted a budget crisis.
It was a busy week in Washington. And a productive one. Yes, I said it. After hearing me speak so often about my frustrations surrounding the lack of compromise, and inability to act, I think it is appropriate for me to tell you that this week, we saw some movement forward. First, in a critical vote, Congress acted in a bipartisan way to pass a clean bill to suspend the debt ceiling. This doesn’t add a single cent to the deficit - it means the Treasury is allowed to pay the bills for spending that Congress has already approved.
This action speaks not only to all Americans, but to the rest of the world as well, that the full faith and credit of the United States is not in question. Defaulting on our debt obligations would have put those in Missouri’s Fifth District, and around the country, at risk in many areas. Those areas include possibly delayed tax refunds, higher interest rates for mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and credit cards. We could have seen a drop in retirement savings, and a delay in benefits for disabled veterans and seniors. For example, a whopping 1.2 million people in Missouri have employer retirement plans that would have been affected. Over 183,000 students rely on student loans to go to college in Missouri. More than 201,000 Missourians took out a home mortgage, or refinanced their existing mortgage last year, and their rates could have increased had we not been able to take action on the debt ceiling. Taking bipartisan action averted a budget crisis and I am pleased we were able to work together to keep unnecessary and damaging consequences from impacting our finances – and our families.
In his latest EC from DC report, Fifth District Congressman Emanuel Cleaver writes about the House's passage of the Farm Bill this week.
It may not have seemed like time stopped for a moment on Wednesday, but in my mind, it did. Amidst all of the chaos, conflict, and political posturing that has been going on in what has been dubbed a ‘Cantankerous and Do-Nothing Congress’ – something big happened. Something really big. The United States House of Representatives passed the Agriculture Act of 2014 (H.R. 2642). This, in and of itself, is a critically important piece of legislation. Beyond the bill, it marked a moment of bipartisanship that is all too infrequent these days.
In his weekly EC from DC report, Fifth District Congressman Emanuel Cleaver writes about the failure to extend unemployment benefits.
While the political standoff continues in Washington, the number of residents in Missouri’s Fifth District, who have been cut off from their unemployment insurance continues to grow.
- There are now 1.6 million Americans who have lost this critical lifeline to support their families.
- These are Americans who are searching for work.
- Another 72,000 people will lose unemployment insurance every week unless and until it is extended.
I want to thank you for the heartfelt stories you shared with me last week about your personal experiences on this issue. I heard from a 62 year old man who has been laid off time and again in this economy, but who continues to search for employment. Things are so bad now, the family is wondering if they will be able to keep a roof over their heads. A woman pleaded for Members of Congress to meet some real people facing this real crisis and change their perceptions of people who just need a little assistance in this economy. A college graduate who has worked for 20 years, was laid off, and spends each day desperately trying to get back into the workforce spoke of his endless struggle just to keep food on the table for his young children. The stories go on and on.
Again, I say, we can do better than this as a nation. These are our neighbors. These are our friends. These are fellow Americans who have played by the rules, and still lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Extending unemployment insurance is not a game. It’s not a political weapon to be wielded for leverage. It is a tool that began with bipartisan support years ago, one that has received bipartisan support in the years since, and one that should have it now. It’s not only important for these families, it is important for the recovery of the overall economy. And it’s the right thing to do.
In his latest EC from DC report, Fifth District Congressman Emanuel Cleaver writes about the Republicans' refusal to extend unemployment benefits.
Thousands of people in Missouri’s Fifth District are facing critical struggles in the wake of the December 28th expiration of the emergency unemployment insurance. The number of those impacted is growing every week. But these are not numbers, these are our neighbors. These are hardworking people, who have played by the rules, and found themselves out of work through no fault of their own. The inaction of Congress has cut off their economic lifeline as they try to feed their families, pay the rent, and search for work. I continue to work with my colleagues to try to get House Republican Leadership to allow us to vote on extending this insurance. So far, that has not happened.
- 1.4 million Americans have now lost emergency unemployment insurance.
- 72,000 more will lose it each week.
- Earlier this month, the lapse in unemployment coverage sucked $400 million out of state economies in a single week.
- Unemployment benefits help grow the economy, delivering $1.52 in economic activity for every $1 spent.
- These benefits have been extended many times in a bipartisan manner and were first put into place by President George W. Bush.
This is savaging families and costing the economy. I want to hear your story. If your emergency unemployment insurance has expired, please let me know what you are doing, how it is impacting your family, and your experiences in searching for work. I would like to share these stories with the media to bring attention to the importance of unemployement insurance in our community, and with colleagues on Capitol Hill, who believe extending these benefits aren’t necessary.
I would like to follow up with you, hence the request for name, number, and email address. If you don’t want to include that in your response, please feel free to omit that information while still sharing your thoughts and experiences.
