Theodore Roosevelt Quotes

Every citizen willing to work and capable of working shall receive a just and living annual wage which will enable him to maintain and educate his family according to the standards of American decency

This [minimum wage] legislation, passed by the 81st Congress at its first session, is an important addition to the laws we live by. It is a measure dictated by social justice. It adds to our economic strength. It is founded on the belief that full human dignity requires at least a minimum level of economic sufficiency and security.

Wages ought not to be insufficient to support a frugal and well-behaved wage earner.

It is unjust to let any starve, when we think it just to limit the wages of the poor, so as they can lay up nothing against the time of their impotency and want of work.

You've got to support working families. We should be looking to support those who strive the hardest, and increase the national living wage, to make sure that the lowest paid get the biggest increase in pay.

At a time when families are incredibly squeezed, it's essential that we provide a living wage for people who work hard and that women realize equal pay for the work they're doing.

The minimum wage should be a living wage.

Nothing helps families make end meet than higher wages.

I want to give people a basic income, so that if you're working hard, doing the best you can, that you can not just survive, but you can have a decent life.

We can afford to pay workers fairly, and it is the right thing to do. We also need equal pay for equal work.

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

When I travel around the country and talk about the need to raise the minimum wage or expand access to paid leave, I often talk about the need for us to reject false choices.

Everybody is entitled to solid living wages, which we don't hear from Hillary Clinton. She's quick to talk about parity, but parity at poverty, and that's not adequate.

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 think the U.S. needs a better safety net... If you're a single mum or even a dual-parent working family, what do you do if you've got a sick child?

Higher wages for American workers are not just good for American families, they are good for our economy. I will keep fighting for a raise for hard working Americans so our families can afford housing, help their children get a quality education, and secure a good retirement.

I'm not sure there's another way to help move more people out of poverty than to raise the minimum wage.

How can we say we're for family values when so many women in the United States have to jeopardize their livelihood to take a few weeks off from work after giving birth? Should a man have to sacrifice his economic security to take care of his sick mother or his wife returning wounded from active duty?

Decent wages keep people out of homeless shelters. Decent wages allow families to afford books and, I don't know, school fees and things like that.

Instead of raising the minimum wage, let's lower taxes for the working poor.

Helping parents to meet the everyday costs of raising their families, helping them lift themselves up to create a better life for their children and keeping them safe is what motivated me to get into public life, and it continues to drive me every day.

We must also recognize that the American Dream includes being able to provide and care for your family without fear of losing your job in the process.

Everyone should have enough to be able to eat and sustain their families. I'm not saying everyone should become extravagantly rich but everyone should have sufficient food and good education.

Chronic insecurity will not be overcome by minimum wage laws, tax credits, means-tested benefits, or workfare.

On the campaign, I've had the privilege of advocating for important issues that affect all women, like demanding equal pay for equal work, pushing to raise our minimum wage, and promoting the idea of paid family leave.