Statement by the President

In my State of the Union Address, I asked more businesses to do what they can to raise their employees’ wages.  Today, I applaud Gap, Inc. for announcing that they intend to raise wages for their employees beginning this year – a decision that will benefit about 65,000 workers in the U.S.  As a chief executive, I’ve required federal contractors to pay their employees a wage of at least $10.10 an hour, and more states are taking steps to raise their minimum wage as well.  But only action from Congress can make a difference nationwide.  Right now, there is a bill in front of both the House and the Senate that would boost America’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, and lift wages for more than 16 million workers – all without requiring a single dollar in new taxes or spending.  It’s time to pass that bill and give America a raise. 

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