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I have worked to raise the minimum wage from almost my first day in Congress.

In 1993, I introduced a bill, the Livable Wage Act, that would have raised the minimum wage to $5.50 an hour. At the time, it was kind of a radical idea. That bill only had a couple dozen co-sponsors and there was only one other person in the entire House of Representatives who had introduced similar legislation.

Nearly thirty years later, some politicians still say raising the minimum wage to a living wage, $15 an hour, is “too radical.”

But what is truly radical is the fact that the wealthiest country in the history of the world allows 40 million of its people to live in poverty while 40% of its people can’t afford basic needs.

What is radical is the fact that millions of people work 40 hours a week and at the end of the week they are worse off than when they began.

What is radical is that we have millions of people who are forced to work two or three jobs just to put food on the table and a roof over their heads.

Let me assure you, Congress would pass a $15 minimum wage faster than you could imagine if they were forced to live on $7.25 an hour.

Now is the time for action for the working people of this country.

Now is the time for Democrats to deliver on the promises made to the American people.

“Elect Democrats and we’ll raise the minimum wage.”

“Help us win both seats in Georgia and the American people will get a minimum wage increase to $15 an hour.”

So we have two choices here:

One, we can raise the minimum wage and lift millions of people out of poverty, including a particular boost to minority workers more than half of whom earn less than $15 an hour, and also women who make up a majority of low-wage workers.

Or two, we can fail to act and get wiped out again during the midterm elections in 2022 — just like Democrats did when they didn’t deliver while controlling the presidency, the House and the Senate in 1994 and again in 2010.

Raising the minimum wage is a textbook case of where good politics is also good policy.

But most importantly, we have a moral imperative to act. Because in the United States of America, if someone is going to work, that person ought to receive at least a wage they can go out and live with dignity on.

Add your name if you agree:

Sign my petition: tell Congress you support raising the minimum wage to a living wage of $15 an hour and that you want action without delay.

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But let me also say this: If we cannot get enough Republicans to vote for this legislation under regular order, we cannot take no for an answer.

We must understand that the issue of starvation wages of $7.25 an hour is a national emergency.

We must raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour through budget reconciliation by a simple majority vote in the Senate. And, as the incoming Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, that is exactly what I am fighting to do.

This is not a new concept. If Republicans could use reconciliation to pass trillions of dollars in tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations, if Republicans could use reconciliation to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, if Republicans could use reconciliation to try to repeal the Affordable Care Act and throw up to 32 million Americans off of the health care they have, we can and must use reconciliation to protect the needs of working families.

I will do everything I can in the Senate to lift millions of workers out of poverty and give 32 million low-wage workers a raise. Today I am asking you to join me in this effort:

Please sign my petition — tell Congress you support raising the minimum wage to a living wage of $15 an hour. This is important.

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There is nothing radical about raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. The truth is, if the minimum wage had kept up with the massive income gains of the top 1% since the 1970s, it would be almost $30 an hour.

The rich have gotten much richer in recent years, and the billionaire class has seen a massive increase in wealth over the course of this pandemic.

It’s time for low-wage workers to get a pay raise, too.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

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