Latino Leadership Link, A Democratic Caucus Update on the Hispanic Community
James E. Clyburn, Chair
John B. Larson, Vice Chair

Republicans Fail Latino Families
Each Day They Fail to Raise the Minimum Wage

Working Latino families are especially affected by changes in the minimum wage because they are more likely than other working families to live below the poverty line. Minimum wage workers working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, earn only $10,700 a year, a stark $5,000 below the poverty line for a family of three.

Its no surprise that the number of Latinos living in poverty has grown to 9.1 million, the real median household income of Latinos has fallen; Latino families have not seen a raise in the minimum wage in almost a decade (Current Population Study, 8/05). Latinos are overrepresented among minimum-wage workers; they make up nearly 12 percent of the United States workforce but represent 19.2 percent of those that would benefit from a minimum wage increase (Congressional Hispanic Caucus). The group earning just above the minimum wage (minimum wage + $1) would also greatly benefit from an increase.

Overall, nearly 2.8 million Latinos would likely benefit if theminimum wage were raised to $7.25 an hour (Economic Policy Institute, 6/06). Raising the minimum wage

to $7.25 an hour would mean an additional $4,370 a year to help minimum wage earners support their families. That is enough for a minimum wage family to buy: Almost two years of child care, two years of college tuition at a public 2 year college, a year and a half of heat and electricity, more than a year of groceries or more than 9 months of rent (Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi/Senator Edward Kennedy). While Latinos in America are working more and earning less, struggling with high gas prices, high health care costs, and the high cost of college tuition, this Republican-led Congress is concerned with tax breaks for the richest in America and their own pay raises, leaving millions of Latino families behind. In the past eight years of this Republican-led Congress, Members of Congress have raised their own pay seven times. In those same eight years, minimum wage workers have not gotten a single raise as they continue to earn only $10,700 a year. By failing to raise the minimum wage, Republicans have failed Latino families, especially those who are struggling to make ends meet. Hard-working Americans deserve a raise, and its past time that Congress gave it to them. Democrats believe that hard working Americans deserve fair pay. Real policies, like raising the minimum wage, are needed to eliminate poverty in this country and ensure that men and women who work hard and play by the rules have the capacity to achieve the American dream. Democrats believe that Congress has a moral obligation to ensure all working Americans earn a fair wage and have been trying for several years to increase the minimum wage. No American who works full-time, all year, should have to live in poverty. However, the Republican-led Congress has prevented several Democratic efforts to increase in the minimum wage, including one most recently in June. Democrats will continue to fight for policies that create fair and just wages for working Latino families in America so no one is ever faced to choose between a bag of groceries and a gallon of gas.