Joni Ernst Quotes

It has now been over 7 years since Congress last raised the minimum wage to its current level of $5.15 per hour. Since that last increase, Congress's failure to adjust the wage for inflation has reduced the purchasing power of the minimum wage to record low levels.

The minimum wage was due for an increase, but it was important that we offset its cost to small businesses.

There are some who incline to favor a “minimum wage,” but who “kick at” a “maximum price.” Such surely forget that the capitalist could here just as easily as in the case of a rise in wages compelled by a workmen’s combination, or by any other cause, take his old profits out at the other end by raising the price of the manufactured article.

Let me just go on record and say this: I am not for decreasing the minimum wage.

Social Security, which transformed life for the elderly in this country, was 'socialist.' The concept of the 'minimum wage' was seen as a radical intrusion into the marketplace and was described as 'socialist.'

I have said, on a number of occasions, that we could have a lower minimum wage or no minimum wage.

I do not support a federal minimum wage. I think every state has a different economy, a different cost of living. I don't believe that's the role of the federal government.

Our minimum wage is too low. So we need to raise it.

I think the minimum wage outght to keep pace with inflation. I think the minimum wage is a good thing to have in our country and I think it ought to be updated.

The concept of minimum wage is crazy, if you really stop to think about it. If $8 an hour seems right, why not $20 an hour? If it's coming by order of the government, why stop at any level? Why not just say everyone should get what Gates gets?

Most of America doesn't pay dishwashers $10.

The state of Alaska has a minimum wage which is higher than the federal level because our state leaders have made that determination.

No family gets rich from earning the minimum wage. In fact, the current minimum wage does not even lift a family out of poverty.

Ohio is one of only two states that have a minimum wage below the federal level of $5.15 an hour.

Raising the minimum wage means raising the living wage - and that's good news for Ohio.

The theory that if wages go up, employment goes down isn't a physical law like F=MA. It's a moral law, like 'Bedtime is 9:00 P.M.'

The minimum wage now in our country, I think we've set that, so there are a lot of people have benefited from it in our country, but I think we ought to review how much it ought to be, and whether or not we ought to have increases in the minimum wage.

The minimum wage was enacted in 1937 during the Great Depression and it has been increased 16 times. It's a well-established economic policy to help families.

The minimum wage is something that F.D.R. put in place a long time ago during the Great Depression. I don't think it worked then. It didn't solve any problems then and it hasn't solved any problems in 50 years.

Congress has not raised the minimum wage since 1997. The minimum wage is now at its lowest level in 50 years adjusted for inflation.

Raising the minimum wage means we have workers paying more in to support the Social Security system.

There are very few people at the decision-making table to argue for minimum-wage workers. Very few people.

A minimum wage leads to higher levels of unemployment.

This is the middle-class equivalent of raising the minimum wage.

Now all of you know that right now the federal minimum wage is a starvation wage.