By CAP Action War Room

Six Things You Didn’t Know About The Minimum Wage

This week and next, a coalition of minimum wage activists in favor of raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 are taking their message of “Giving America a Raise” on the road with an 11 state bus tour. They have already made stops in Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut and New York. This issue couldn’t be more important for working families across the country and creating an economy that works for everyone.

Right now, a parent working full time earning the minimum wage and raising two children is making poverty wages. She struggles to make ends meet and can barely afford basics such as school supplies for her children. But with a higher minimum wage, workers will have more money to spend on basic needs, money that will go back into the local economy, which in turn gives businesses more customers—helping them to hire more workers. Raising low-end wages will also save taxpayers $4.6 billion a year on nutritional assistance programs.

Raising the minimum wage would be a critical step in ensuring that the economy is working for everyone. It will provide Americans who work hard a better opportunity to get ahead while giving the economy a needed shot in the arm. It is past time for Congress to act. The federal minimum wage has not been raised in more than five years. Right here are six facts explaining why Congress needs to raise the wage to $10.10 an hour:

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Last month, President Obama signed a new “farm bill” that cuts food stamp funding by about $800 million per year. These heartless cuts – which Republicans forced through in Congress – slash $90 in food stamp benefits per month from 850,000 families nationwide.

Fortunately, a bipartisan group of governors in six states have found a way to reverse these devastating cuts by participating in a special “heat and eat” program, which leverages heating assistance payments into higher food stamp benefits.¹ Governor Inslee can stop the cuts to the food stamp program in Washington, but it is going to take grassroots pressure to make that happen.

CREDO activist Heather Magrath started a campaign on CREDOMobilize.com, which allows activists to start their own petitions. The petition, which is to Governor Inslee, asks the following:

Nearly a million Americans are on the verge of losing $90 per month in food stamps benefits. I urge you to sign an executive order increasing heating assistance subsidies to prevent thousands of Washington families from losing access to food stamps.

Sign the petition: Tell Governor Inslee to stop the food stamp cuts in Washington.

$90 per month may not seem like much, but for families in Washington who are struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table, the recent cuts to the food stamp program can be devastating.

By slightly increasing state funding for heating assistance to residents slated to lose part of their food stamp benefits, governors in six states have completely stopped the Republican food stamp cut from affecting residents in their states.

With unemployment still unacceptably high and millions of families struggling to get by, we need to do everything in our power to stop the Republicans’ irresponsible attempts to slash our social safety net. Governor Inslee needs to follow the lead of these governors and prevent thousands of Washington residents from losing $90 each month in food stamp benefits.

Will you join Heather and urge Governor Inslee to do what’s right for Washington residents and stop the devastating food stamp cuts?

Thanks for fighting to stop food stamp cuts in Washington.

Murshed Zaheed, Deputy Political Director CREDO Action from Working Assets

1. “Republican Governor Will Protect His State’s Residents From Food Stamp Cuts,” Think Progress, March 6, 2014