AP News, August 18th, 2007
A North Carolina waitress on Saturday lauded the Democratic-initiated increase in the minimum wage, saying in the party's weekly radio address that the extra money will have a ripple effect on millions of lives.
Fawn Townsend, a nightshift server in Raleigh, N.C., criticized Republicans for blocking efforts to raise the minimum wage over the last 10 years. The Democratic-led Congress approved the increase earlier this year and President Bush signed it into law in May.
"Millions of Americans now have a little more in their paychecks to help pay for basic necessities like food and clothing. And now more Americans can save to build a better future for themselves and their families," Townsend said.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says about 1.7 million people made $5.15 or less in 2006. The federal minimum wage increased from $5.15 to $5.85 an hour last month. Increases of 70 cents are scheduled each of the next two summers.
Townsend criticized Bush for threatening to veto a bill that would provide more money for the Children's Health Insurance Program. The Senate has voted to add 3 million lower-income children to the plan at a cost of $35 billion, and the House has approved a more ambitious and expensive version. Bush has proposed spending just $5 billion more on the program.
In the future, Townsend said she hoped to attend nursing school _ and she applauded Democrats for passing legislation to make higher education more affordable.
"I'm grateful that our Democratic leaders in Congress are taking our country in a new direction," she said. "They have accomplished more this year than Republicans accomplished in the past six years combined _ including giving people like me a long-overdue raise."
