In a recent Senate debate, Congresswoman Barbara Lee made a bold defense of her proposal for a $50 federal minimum wage, a figure that starkly exceeds the current U.S. federal minimum by more than six times.
The Congresswoman, who is currently engaged in a closely contested Senate race to succeed the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, emphasized the necessity of such a dramatic increase due to California’s soaring cost of living, asserting that residents struggle to survive on less than $100,000 annually.
When questioned about the feasibility of her proposed wage increase for small businesses, Lee, who has experience as a small business owner herself and claims to have created hundreds of jobs, stressed the importance of ensuring employees receive a ‘living wage.’
“Employees need to be taken care of,” she stated, underscoring her belief in the critical need for wages that reflect the economic realities faced by Californians amidst a profound cost-of-living crisis.
“Just do the math, just do the math,” Lee said during the debate. “In the bay area, I believe it was the United Way came out with a report that very recently $127,000 for a family of four is just barely enough to get by,’ Lee said. ‘Another survey very recently $104,000 for a family of one, barely enough to get by.”
The current national minimum wage at $7.25 an hour. The California minimum wages is $16 an hour. While Lee acknowledged some calls to raise the federal minimum wage to $20 or $25 an hour, she said she has to be focused on what Californians need and what is considered affordable in her state.
