Braley Fights to Give 300,000 Iowans a Pay Raise on National Minimum Wage Day, While State Sen. Ernst Opposes Minimum Wage Increase

Press Release

To mark National Minimum Wage Day, Bruce Braley today reiterated his call for an overdue increase to the minimum wage that would provide 300,000 Iowans with a pay raise and infuse $272 million in to Iowa's economy.

"No one in Iowa should work a full-time job and live near or below the poverty line," said Braley. "It's been over five years since the last federal minimum wage increase, and the minimum wage buys less and less for Iowa's workers. I'm committed to raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour because I believe that all Iowans deserve a fair wage for a hard day's work. In contrast, Sen. Ernst again puts her reckless Tea Party agenda ahead of Iowans and thinks $7.25 an hour -- just $15,000 a year -- is an appropriate minimum wage for hardworking Iowans."

While Bruce Braley is fighting to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour to benefit older workers and families, state Sen. Joni Ernst is opposed to the federal minimum wage, and has repeatedly said that she thinks $7.25 an hour -- which means a full-time worker takes home just $15,000 a year -- is "appropriate for Iowa." Sen. Ernst showed just how out of touch she is when she said $7.25 is a "great starter wage for many high school students, those that are just getting into work experience," despite clear evidence that shows that raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour would primarily benefit older workers.

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