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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
January 28, 2014 Joseph Rendeiro
(202) 776-1566
jrendeiro@nclr.org
NCLR notes that policies such as increasing the minimum wage, boosting health and education and immigration reform will open the door to greater opportunities for all Americans
WASHINGTON, D.C.—In response to tonight’s State of the Union address, in which President Obama spoke about issues such as growing income inequality in our nation, Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza), has called on policymakers to recommit to creating jobs, rewarding work, and ensuring that our children are prepared to compete and excel in the 21st century economy.
“Tonight, President Obama laid out his vision for the future of this country, offering practical solutions to fight poverty and expand opportunity for more Americans,” Murguía said. “Like all Americans, Latinos hold fast to the belief that hard work should earn you the chance to build a better life for your children. We applaud the president for prioritizing boosting stagnant wages and investing in youth.”
During tonight’s address, the president announced an Executive Order to raise the minimum wage for federal contractors to $10.10 per hour. According to the Economic Policy Institute, this mandate on the minimum wage will set a floor on wages for the nearly 20% of all federal contractors earning below poverty-level wages, who are disproportionately minority and female.
“This is a win-win for workers and business,” Murguía said. “We hope that the president will continue working with Congress to finish the job by passing legislation that raises the minimum wage for all Americans.”
Latinos are expected to double their share of the American labor force from 15 percent to 30 percent by the year 2050. However, approximately one in five Latinos earns poverty-level wages.
“The seeds of inequality are too often sown early in life. We are pleased to see the president place a continued focus on investing in our future by raising standards for all of our children and investing in early childhood education,” Murguía said. “To ensure a prosperous future for all Americans, we must restore investments in programs that grant all children access to a quality and affordable education from preschool through college. We must also protect the vital gains made thanks to the Affordable Care Act that have given millions of Americans the opportunity to access health coverage for the first time.”
“Lastly, we echo the president’s call for Congress to finally deliver comprehensive immigration reform,” concluded Murguía. “Instead of forcing millions of aspiring Americans to continue to live and work in the shadows, we should pass legislation that establishes a fair and equitable immigration system, creates millions of jobs, boosts our economy, and aligns with our values as a nation.”
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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