This week, we have the opportunity to pass legislation that would help get our economy back on track and give more New Mexico families a fair shot at making a good living.
S.1737, the Minimum Wage Fairness Act, would increase the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour - bringing it to where it would be if it had kept up with inflation. At today's wage, too many New Mexico families are left working two or three jobs just to pay rent and put food on the table. This increase would give 147,000 workers in New Mexico a raise averaging $1,371 a year. That's real money, and it's one of the best things we can do to kickstart New Mexico's economy.
I've also been fighting for a bill to ensure women can get equal pay for equal work. This issue is critical for New Mexico's economy. In many families, women are the primary bread-winners, yet they still earn just 80 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make. A majority of the Senate supports the Paycheck Fairness Act, and earlier this month, we had an opportunity to debate, vote on and pass it. But Republicans blocked debate before it could even start. These repeated filibusters are hurting working families, and I'm going to keep fighting against partisan obstructionism in the Senate so we can make progress on common-sense solutions like paycheck fairness.
Fortunately, we were able to do this when a bipartisan coalition came together with an agreement to extend emergency unemployment assistance. I was proud to support an extension because it will help 14,000 New Mexicans and millions of unemployed workers across the country to pay for basic needs while they look for work. Now it's time for the House of Representatives to act.
Our nation was founded on a basic promise - that no matter who you are, if you work hard, you can get ahead. It's time to pass these bills so we can fulfill that promise and ensure all New Mexico families have a real chance at the American Dream.
