Statement regarding the minimum wage

Contact: Dylan Rosenthal, Director of Communications, udeldems@gmail.com

The College Democrats at the University of Delaware strongly believe that the need for a living wage is more important now than ever. Throughout this pandemic, essential workers have been asked to risk their lives for jobs that often pay them less than $15 an hour. But when given the opportunity to raise these wages over time, eight Democrats decided that this was not a priority.

We are disappointed that Delaware Senators Carper and Coons voted against raising the minimum wage today, and we urge both Senators to reconsider their opposition, since the American people overwhelmingly support this policy. With a Democratic trifecta, we must make sure that Democrats are pushing for bold, popular policy if we truly want to improve the lives of everyday Americans.

Senators Carper and Coons cited the fragility of small businesses when asked about their vote. It seems as if they’ve failed to consider the fragility of American working families across the country forced to live on the brink of poverty because of the low wages they are paid. It is dishonest to frame raising the minimum wage to $15 as something that would occur overnight, as the proposals have included gradual increases over a five year period. This is an especially frustrating development, since both have voiced their support for raising the minimum wage during past campaigns. Further, increasing the minimum wage is part of the Delaware Democratic Party’s platform, and it was part of President Biden’s campaign platform as well.

Democrats won their Senate majority by campaigning on issues like the $15 minimum wage in Georgia, and it would be wrong for our party to not pass the popular policies that gave Democrats power in the first place. We call on Senators Carper and Coons to support future measures to raise the minimum wage.