Life On Minimum Wage: Why The Federal Debate Continues
Consider This from NPR
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4.2 • 6.2K Ratings
🗓️ 4 February 2021
⏱️ 14 minutes
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Summary
The history of the minimum wage in the U.S. is tied closely to civil rights. Ellora Derenoncourt, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley, says one theme of the 1963 March on Washington was a call for a higher minimum wage.
Many states have a higher minimum wage than the federally mandated $7.25. Arindrajit Dube from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst discusses how those states have fared.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In his first week in office, President Biden listed his priorities for the next COVID-19 relief package. |
| 0:06.0 | Good afternoon, folks. |
| 0:07.0 | He talked about unemployment help, direct payments, and a policy change that would last far beyond the pandemic. |
| 0:13.0 | Our recovery plan also caused for an increase in the minimum wage, at least $15 an hour. |
| 0:20.0 | Raising the minimum wage. |
| 0:22.0 | Biden says Americans can't support themselves on the current federal minimum wage of 725 an hour. |
| 0:28.0 | No one in America should work 40 hours a week, making below the poverty line. |
| 0:35.0 | Republicans in Congress argue that effectively doubling the minimum wage will put too much of a squeeze on small businesses, causing many of them to close. |
| 0:44.0 | Most of the Democrats support Biden's plan. Most, not all. |
| 0:48.0 | One of the key votes in the Senate joins us right now. Democratic Senator from West Virginia, Joe Manchin. |
| 0:54.0 | Joe Manchin of West Virginia is a moderate, swing voter, and arguably the second most powerful Joe in Washington, D.C. |
| 1:02.0 | The Senate is split 50-50, which means Democrats can't afford to lose a single vote when it comes to passing this newest relief package. |
| 1:11.0 | Foxes, Brett Baer, asked Manchin this week where he stood on the minimum wage. |
| 1:16.0 | Are you for raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour? |
| 1:20.0 | Brett, I don't think that's going to make it in because it doesn't fit within the I know it's a... |
| 1:23.0 | Democrats in Congress are using a process called budget reconciliation to get the relief package approved. |
| 1:29.0 | And Manchin says a minimum wage hike doesn't belong in that process. |
| 1:33.0 | It has to be within the budget lines. That does not come within that at all. |
| 1:37.0 | And it really needs to be debated. It doesn't work. |
| 1:42.0 | Consider this as the minimum wage debate hangs in the balance, so do the livelihoods of many Americans. |
| 1:49.0 | From NPR, I'm Audie Cornish. It's Thursday, February 4th. |
| 1:57.0 | This message comes from NPR's sponsor, BYU Radio, with the podcast Top of Mind. |
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