Murray Highlights Democrats’ Efforts to Support Workers in 114th Congress
Murray: “In Congress, we must act to give workers some much needed relief. We need to grow our economy from the middle out, not the top down. And we should make sure our country works for all Americans, not just the wealthiest few.”
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) delivered remarks on the Senate floor on Democrats’ efforts to date in the 114th Congress to expand economic security and stability for working families across the country. In her remarks, Murray highlighted recent bills introduced by Democrats in Congress to tackle pay discrimination, raise the minimum wage, crack down on scheduling abuses, and ensure access to paid sick days. Murray noted that these measures are all critical parts of growing the economy from the middle out, not the top down, and said she will be asking for unanimous consent in the coming days to move forward on these policies.
Key excerpts from Senator Murray’s remarks:
“In Congress, we must act to give workers some much needed relief. We need to grow our economy from the middle out, not the top down. And we should make sure our country works for all Americans, not just the wealthiest few. And, M. President, there is no reason that we can’t get to work today on legislation to do just that. That is why I have joined with my colleagues over the past few months in introducing several bills that will would restore some much-needed economic security and stability to millions of workers. And it’s why I am hoping that we can move these bills forward before we all go back home to our states this week.”
“For too long, we’ve heard from Republicans the theory – a deeply flawed theory – that if we would only grant more tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans, and if we would just keep rolling back regulations on the biggest corporations, those benefits would eventually trickle down and reach working families in our country. But not only does that theory not work, as we’ve seen over the past few decades, that trickle-down system has done real damage to our nation’s middle class and working families across the country. While worker productivity has reached new heights, workers have lost basic protections they once had. And while trickle-down economics allows big corporations to post massive profits, too many workers pay the price.”
“Today, the federal minimum wage can leave a family in poverty. Even after working full time. And even without taking a single day off. But it’s not only that. Today, some businesses use unfair scheduling practices to keep workers guessing about when they’ll be called in to work and with no guarantee of how much money they’ll earn in a given week. These kinds of scheduling abuses take a real toll on workers’ lives and can prevent them from getting ahead. Attending college classes isn’t an option when someone’s work schedule is always in flux. And taking on a second job to earn more money is nearly impossible when you can’t plan around your first job. And that’s not all, M. President. Right now, 43 million workers don’t have paid sick leave.”
“Truly robust and strong economic growth comes from the middle out, not the top down. So when workers lack security, when they aren’t treated fairly, they can’t invest in themselves and their children, spend money in their communities, or move their families into a middle class life. I believe that we have to address this challenge on multiple fronts—and that we can start by making sure that workers are treated fairly and can earn their way toward rising wages and increased economic security.”
“…I am going to be asking for unanimous consent to work on the policies that would restore economic security and stability to more workers. Let’s finally restore some stability and security for workers across the country. Let’s make sure hard work pays off. And let’s help more families make ends meet, expand economic opportunity, and grow our economy from the middle out, not the top down.”
Full text of Senator Murray’s remarks:
“Thank you, M. President.
“Across our country today, so many workers clock in for 40 hours a week, they work hard, and yet they’re unable to provide for their families.
“Just last fall, NBC News interviewed a woman named Latoya who works at a fast-food restaurant.
“And she was protesting as part of a fast-food workers strike.
“Latoya is raising four children alone on $7.25 an hour.
“That’s less than $300 a week, and it’s well below the poverty line for her family.
“For part of last year, she was living in a homeless shelter.
“She told the reporter, ‘Nobody should work 40 hours a week and find themselves homeless.’
“On top of rock-bottom wages, Latoya said she and her colleagues experience unpaid wages, unpredictable scheduling, and have to make do with broken equipment on the job.
“In today’s economy, too many workers across the country face the same challenges as Latoya: they are underpaid, overworked, and treated unfairly on the job.
“In short, M. President, they lack fundamental economic security.
“Several places around the country – and in my home state of Washington – are working to address this at the local level.
“And I believe we need to bring the Washington state way here to Washington DC.
“In Congress, we must act to give workers some much needed relief. We need to grow our economy from the middle out, not the top down. And we should make sure our country works for all Americans, not just the wealthiest few.
“And, M. President, there is no reason that we can’t get to work today on legislation to do just that.
“That is why I have joined with my colleagues over the past few months in introducing several bills that will would restore some much-needed economic security and stability to millions of workers.
“And it’s why I am hoping that we can move these bills forward before we all go back home to our states this week.
“M. President, for too long, we’ve heard from Republicans the theory – a deeply flawed theory – that if we would only grant more tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans, and if we would just keep rolling back regulations on the biggest corporations, those benefits would eventually trickle down and reach working families in our country.
“But not only does that theory not work, as we’ve seen over the past few decades, that trickle-down system has done real damage to our nation’s middle class and working families across the country.
“While worker productivity has reached new heights, workers have lost basic protections they once had.
“And while trickle-down economics allows big corporations to post massive profits, too many workers pay the price. I’ll give you some examples.
“Today, the federal minimum wage can leave a family in poverty. Even after working full time. And even without taking a single day off.
“But it’s not only that.
“Today, some businesses use unfair scheduling practices to keep workers guessing about when they’ll be called in to work and with no guarantee of how much money they’ll earn in a given week.
“These kinds of scheduling abuses take a real toll on workers’ lives and can prevent them from getting ahead.
“Attending college classes isn’t an option when someone’s work schedule is always in flux.
“And taking on a second job to earn more money is nearly impossible when you can’t plan around your first job.
“And that’s not all, M. President. Right now, 43 million workers don’t have paid sick leave.
“When they get sick, they have to choose between toughing it out at work – and passing that illness on to others – or staying home, and potentially losing their job.
“When their child is sick, they have to choose between losing money out of their paycheck, or missing out on caring for their son or daughter.
“And, as if all that wasn’t enough, in our country, women are paid just 78 cents for every dollar a man makes.
“That isn’t just unfair to women. It’s bad for families and it hurts our economy.
“M. President, many businesses are doing the right thing and support their workers.
“But other corporations that don’t, put the businesses doing the right thing at a competitive disadvantage by running a race to the bottom and pulling their workers down with them.
“This worker insecurity isn't just devastating for the millions of workers and their families impacted by it—it's also hurting our economy.
“Truly robust and strong economic growth comes from the middle out, not the top down.
“So when workers lack security, when they aren’t treated fairly, they can’t invest in themselves and their children, spend money in their communities, or move their families into a middle class life.
“I believe that we have to address this challenge on multiple fronts—and that we can start by making sure that workers are treated fairly and can earn their way toward rising wages and increased economic security.
“And there are some important things we can do right here in Congress to expand economic security and stability for millions of working families today.
“For starters, we should pass the Paycheck Fairness Act that the senior Senator from Maryland has championed for so many years to finally close the pay gap between men and women.
“The Paycheck Fairness Act would tackle pay discrimination head-on.
“And I hope we can all agree that in the 21st century, workers should be paid fairly for the work they do, regardless of their gender.
“We should raise the minimum wage to make sure hard work pays off.
“My Raise the Wage Act to increase the minimum wage to $12 by 2020 is enough to lift a family of three out of poverty.
“It will put more money in workers’ pockets so they can spend it in their local communities.
“It will provide a strong floor—a federal bare minimum—that workers and cities can build off of and go even higher where it makes sense—like in Seattle in my home state of Washington.
“And it’s a level that Republicans should be able to agree we can start moving toward—right now.
“M. President, I’ve also worked on a bill, along with Senators Warren and Murphy, to crack down on scheduling abuses, so businesses would no longer keep workers guessing on when they’d be called in, or how many hours they would get in a given week.
“In February, I introduced the Healthy Families Act to allow workers to earn up to seven paid sick days.
“And I want to move forward on that legislation to give workers some much-needed economic security.
“Because no one should have to sacrifice a day’s pay – or their job altogether – just to take care of themselves or their sick child.
“And, we as a nation should not turn our backs on empowering workers through collective bargaining – especially because strong unions make sure workers have a voice at the table. And that’s the very thing that helped so many workers climb into the middle class.
“M. President—enacting these critical policies won't solve every problem facing workers and families.
“And they are not the only way that I and other Senate Democrats will be fighting for to protect workers and make sure the economy is growing from the middle out, not the top down.
“But these policies would be strong steps in the right direction to bring back that American dream of economic security and a stable middle class life for millions of workers who have seen it slip away.
“When workers succeed, businesses succeed, and the economy succeeds. And we know this works.
“I’ve seen it in my home state of Washington where state and local governments have already taken the lead on proposals like raising the minimum wage and paid sick days.
“And I think it’s time to bring some more of that Washington state way right here to Washington, D.C.
“I recently heard from a small business owner named Laura. She owns a small auto repair shop in Renton, Washington.
“And she shared something that I hear all the time from business owners: Doing the right thing by workers starts a virtuous cycle.
“Laura said, “When workers have more money, businesses have more customers. With more customers, businesses can hire more workers, which in turn, generates more customers.”
“M. President, working families in our country have been waiting long enough for some relief from a trickle-down system that hurts our middle class.
“That’s why I am going to be asking for unanimous consent to work on the policies that would restore economic security and stability to more workers.
“Let’s finally restore some stability and security for workers across the country.
“Let’s make sure hard work pays off.
“And let’s help more families make ends meet, expand economic opportunity, and grow our economy from the middle out, not the top down.
“Thank you, M. President. I yield the floor.”
