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The President: Hello, Connecticut!
(applause)
Go Blue Devils!
(applause)
It is good to be back in Connecticut.
(applause)
I want to thank your wonderful Governor,
Dan Malloy, for that introduction.
(applause)
I want to thank your President,
Jack Miller, for inviting me here today.
(applause)
We've got members of your student
government behind me.
(applause)
I couldn't help but notice your Student
Government Association logo, which has a gavel --
and a pitchfork, which is pretty intense.
(laughter)
And I wish some folks in Congress
used the gavel more.
(laughter)
Less pitchfork.
(laughter) We also have some members of your
non-student government.
One of our finest members of our Cabinet, who just
cares so much about working families and is
working tirelessly every single day, Secretary of
Labor, Tom Perez, is here.
(applause) We've got all five of Connecticut's
representatives in Congress -- including CCSU
alum John Larson, in the house.
(applause)
Another proud CCSU alum, Erin Stewart,
your mayor, is here.
(applause)
Along with Mayor Segarra and the
other mayors and legislators from all
across Connecticut.
And today, we're doing something a little
different than usual.
Usually, when I hit the road and talk with folks
like all of you, I've got a governor with me.
But you are special.
(applause)
So we decided one governor wasn't enough.
(laughter)
So in addition to Governor Malloy, we've
got Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, Deval
Patrick of Massachusetts, Peter Shumlin of Vermont.
(applause)
This is like a governor supergroup.
(laughter)
It's like the Justice League of governors.
(laughter)
I'd call them the New England Patriots,
but that name is already taken.
(laughter)
Male Speaker: We love you,
Mr. President!
The President: I love you back!
I love you.
(applause)
But we can't just spend the whole day
talking about how we love each other.
(laughter)
That's not why I came.
We are here today -- we're here today because each of
us cares deeply about creating new jobs and new
opportunities for all Americans.
And we're at this interesting moment in our
economy -- our economy has been growing, our
businesses have created about eight and a half
million new jobs over the past four years.
The unemployment rate is the lowest it's been in
over five years.
(applause)
Those are all things that
we should be proud of.
But there are some trends out there that have been
battering the middle class for a long, long time --
well before this Great Recession hit.
And in some ways, some of those trends have gotten
worse, not better.
The nature of today's economy with technology
and globalization means that there are folks at
the top who are doing better than ever, but
average wages have barely budged.
Average incomes have not gone up.
Too many Americans are working harder than ever
just to keep up.
So as I said at my State of the Union address,
we've got to reverse those trends.
It is a central task for all of us to build
an economy that works for everybody,
not just for some.
(applause)
That's what every one of these
governors and Tom Perez believes in -- that's what
we got into public service for.
I hope Dan and Peter don't mind me sharing this --
while we were driving over here, they were talking
about the fact that when they were growing up, both
of them had dyslexia.
And because of the incredible fierce love
of their parents but also because there were some
folks there to help them, they achieved --
made these extraordinary achievements.
Now, I wasn't in the car with Deval, but Deval is a
close friend of mine.
He's got a similar story -- grew up on the South
Side of Chicago.
(Audience member cheers.)
South Side!
(laughter and applause)
And came from
a very modest background.
But somebody gave him a chance.
(applause)
Me, Tom Perez -- so many of us
understand that at the heart of America, the
central premise of this country is the chance to
achieve your dreams if you work hard, if you take
responsibility; that it doesn't matter where you
start -- it's where you finish.
(applause)
And in America, we believe in
opportunity for all.
We believe that our success shouldn't be
determined by the circumstances of our
birth.
It's determined by each of us.
But also by a society that's committed to
everybody succeeding.
So that it doesn't matter what you look like, where
you come from, what your last name is, who you love
-- what matters is the strength of your work
ethic; and the power of your dreams; and your
willingness to take responsibility for
yourself but also for the larger society.
That's what makes America the place that it is, why
it continues to be a beacon, attracting people
from all around the world, the idea that you can make
it here if you try.
Now, there's been a lot of news about foreign affairs
around the world over the last several days, but
also for the last couple years.
And one of the things that you see, a trend you see
-- it doesn't matter whether it's in Central
Europe or in the Middle East or Africa --
individuals want a chance to make it if they try.
And what makes us special is we already do that when
we're at our best.
But we've got some work to do to match up our ideals
with the reality that's happening on the ground
right now.
And the opportunity agenda that I've laid out is
designed to help us restore that idea of
opportunity for everybody for this generation, the
generation of young people who are studying here and
are about to enter the workforce.
And it's got four parts.
Part one is something that I know the seniors here
are very interested in, which is more good jobs
that pay good wages.
(applause)
We can't be satisfied with just
recovering the jobs that were
lost during the recession.
We've got to rebuild our economy so it's creating a
steady supply of good jobs today and well into the
future -- jobs in high-tech manufacturing,
and in energy, and in exports, and in American
innovation.
So that's job number one.
Job number two is training more Americans with the
skills they need to fill those good jobs, so that
our workforce is prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.
Part three: guaranteeing every young person in this
country access to a world-class education --
from pre-K all the way to a college education like
the one you're getting here.
(applause)
And that's why over the past five years,
working with the outstanding congressional
delegation from Connecticut, we've been
able to make sure that grant dollars are going
farther than before.
We took on a student loan system that gave billions
of taxpayer dollars to the big banks, and we said
let's use those to give more students directly the
help they need to afford to go to college.
(applause)
That's why -- that's why we're offering
millions of young people the chance to cap their
monthly student loan payments at 10 percent of
their income.
So you need to check that out.
(laughter)
Go to the website of the Department
of Education and find out how you
may be eligible for that.
And today, more young people are earning college
degrees than ever before.
(applause)
Of course -- and I know your President
won't disagree with this -- we've also got to do
more to rein in the soaring cost of college
and help more Americans who are trapped
by student loan debt.
(applause)
The bottom line though is whether it's
technical training, community college, or
four-year university, no young person should be
priced out of a higher education.
Shouldn't happen.
(applause)
Now, there is a fourth part
of this agenda.
By the way, I just noticed, if you've got
chairs, feel free to sit down.
(laughter)
I know the folks here don't have
chairs, but I don't want you -- and if you're
standing up, make sure to bend your knees
so you don't faint.
(laughter)
All right, I just wanted
(laughter and applause) Now, point number four, 0:11:15.734,1193:02:47.295 to check on you.
the fourth component of this opportunity agenda is
making sure that if you are working hard -- if
you're working hard, then you get ahead.
And that means making sure women receive equal pay
for equal work.
(applause)
When women succeed, America succeeds.
(applause)
I believe that.
You happy with that, Rosa?
Rosa agrees with that.
(laughter)
It means making sure that you can save and
retire with dignity.
It means health insurance that's there when you're
sick and you need it most.
(applause)
And you guys are doing a great job
implementing the Affordable Care Act
here in Connecticut.
If any of you know a young person who is uninsured,
help them get covered at healthcare.gov.
The website works just fine now.
(laughter)
They've got until March 31st to sign
up, and in some cases it's going to cost less than
your cellphone bill.
So check it out, healthcare.gov.
And making work pay means wages and paychecks that
let you support a family.
(applause) A wage, a paycheck that lets you
support a family.
(applause) Now, I want to be clear about this
because sometimes in our debates with our friends
on the other side of the political spectrum, this
may not be clear, so let me just repeat it once
again, as Americans, we understand that some folks
are going to earn more than others.
We don't resent success; we are thrilled with the
opportunities that America affords.
Somebody goes out there, starts a business, invents
a new product, provides a new service, that's what
drives our economy.
That's why this free-market economy is the
most dynamic on Earth.
We're thrilled with that.
Everybody agrees on that.
But what we also believe is that nobody who works
full-time should ever have to raise
a family in poverty.
(applause)
That violates a basic sense of who we are.
And that's why it's time to give America a raise.
(applause)
It is time to give America a raise.
Now is the time.
Now is the time.
(applause)
A year ago I asked Congress to raise
the minimum wage, the federal minimum wage.
Since that time six states have passed laws to raise
theirs, including right here in Connecticut.
(applause) On January 1st, tens of thousands of folks
across this state got a raise -- and Governor
Malloy is working to lift their wages even higher.
(applause) Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland,
Minnesota, Washington State, other states,
counties, cities across the country are working to
raise their minimum wage as we speak.
The governors here today -- Governor Chafee of
Rhode Island;, Governor Malloy; Governor Patrick
of Massachusetts; Governor Shumlin of Vermont; and a
Governor who couldn't be here today, Maggie Hassan
of New Hampshire -- all are fighting to give
hardworking folks in these great New England states a
raise of their own.
And they've formed a regional coalition to
raise the minimum wage.
If they succeed in their efforts, New England will
have some of the highest minimum wages in the
country.
(applause) And they're not stopping there -- these
four governors are here in support of raising
America's minimum wage, the federal minimum wage,
to $10.10 an hour -- $10.10 an hour.
(applause) Now, raising wages is not just a job
for elected officials.
In my State of the Union address, I asked more
business leaders to do what they can to raise
their workers' wages -- because profitable
companies like Costco have long seen higher wages as
good business.
It's a smart way to boost productivity, to reduce
turnover, to instill loyalty in your employees.
And, by the way, they do great.
Their stocks do great.
They are highly profitable.
It's not bad business to do right by your workers,
it's good business.
(applause) It's good business.
(applause) Two weeks ago, the Gap decided to raise
its base wages, and that's going to boost wages for
65,000 workers in the United States.
(applause) Last week, I read about Jaxson's, it's
an ice cream parlor in Florida that's been in
business since 1956.
They just announced they would lift workers' wages
to at least $10.10 an hour, without cutting back
on hiring.
(applause) Two weeks ago, an Atlanta small business
owner named Darien Southerland wrote me to
share a lesson his Granny taught him: If you treat
your employees right, they'll treat you right.
(applause) Vice President Biden paid Darien's
business a visit just yesterday.
You got to listen to your grandmother.
(laughter) That is some wise advice.
And I agree with these business leaders as well.
So what I did as President, I issued an
executive order requiring federal contractors -- if
you're doing business with the federal government --
pay your employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an
hour, which will be good for America's bottom line.
(applause) And let me tell you who was affected.
When I was signing the bill, or the executive
order, we had some of the workers who were going to
be affected.
You've got folks who are cooking the meals of our
troops, or washing their dishes, or cleaning their
clothes.
This country should pay those folks a wage you can
live on.
(applause) So this is good for business, it is good
for America.
Because even though we're bringing manufacturing
jobs back to the United States, creating more good
jobs in education and health care and business
services, there will always be airport workers,
there are always going to be fast-food workers,
there are always going to be hospital workers, there
are going to be retail salespeople, hospitality
workers -- people who work their tails off every day.
(applause) People working in nursing homes, looking
after your grandparents or your parents.
(applause) Folks who are doing all the hard jobs
that make our society work every single day.
They don't have anything flashy out there.
And you know what, they're not expecting to get rich,
but they do feel like if they're putting in
back-breaking work every day, then at least at the
end of the month they can pay their bills.
(applause) They deserve an honest day's pay for an
honest day's work.
Working Americans have struggled through stagnant
wages for too long, so my goal is -- and the goal of
everybody on this stage -- is to help lift wages,
help lift take-home pay in any way I can.
And that's why I've done everything I can to lift
wages for hardworking federal contractors, it's
why I've asked business owners to raise their
wages, it's why I'm supporting elected
officials at the local level, governors.
What every American wants is a paycheck that lets
them support their families, know a little
economic security, pass down some hope and
optimism to their kids.
And that's worth fighting for.
(applause) But I want to make one last point.
If we're going to finish the job, Congress has to
get on board.
(applause) Congress has to get on board.
And this is interesting -- this should not be that
hard, you'd think.
(laughter) Because nearly three in four Americans,
about half of all Republicans, support
raising the minimum wage.
The problem is, Republicans in Congress
oppose raising the minimum wage -- now I don't know
if that's just because I proposed it.
(laughter) Maybe I should say I oppose raising the
minimum wage and they'd be for it, that's possible.
(laughter) But right now, there's a bill in front of
both the House and the Senate that would boost
America's minimum wage to $10.10.
It's easy to remember -- $10.10 -- ten dollars, ten
cents an hour.
Just passing this bill would help not only
minimum wage workers; it would lift wages for about
200,000 people just right here in Connecticut.
(applause) It would lift wages for about one
million New Englanders.
(applause) It would lift wages for nearly 28
million Americans across this country.
(applause) It would immediately raise millions
of people out of poverty.
It would help millions more work their way out of
poverty, and it doesn't require new taxes, doesn't
require new spending, doesn't require some new
bureaucracy.
And here's one last point.
It turns out -- what happens if workers got a
little more money in their pockets?
Audience: They spend it!
The President: They spend a little more money, which
means that suddenly businesses have more
customers, which means they make more profits,
which means they can hire more workers, which means
you get a virtuous cycle --
Audience: It's common sense!
The President: It's common sense -- that's what I'm
trying to say.
(laughter and applause) Common sense, exactly.
It's just common sense -- that's all it is.
It's common sense.
(applause) Common sense.
It's just common sense.
(applause) That's all I'm saying.
(laughter) Now, right now, Republicans in Congress
don't want to vote on raising the minimum wage.
Some have actually said they just want to scrap
the minimum wage.
One of them said, "I think it's outlived its
usefulness...I'd vote to repeal the minimum wage."
One of them said it's never worked.
Some even said it only helps young people, as if
that's a bad thing.
I think we should want to help young people.
(laughter and applause) I'd like to see them try
putting themselves through college on a low wage
work-study job.
(applause) But actually -- or I'd like to see them
supporting a family, making less than $15,000 a
year.
But here's the truth about who it would help.
Most people who would get a raise if we raise the
minimum wage are not teenagers on their first
job -- their average age is 35.
A majority of lower-wage jobs are held by women.
These Americans are workiong full-time, often
supporting families, and if the minimum wage had
kept pace with our economy's productivity,
they'd already be earning well over $10 an hour
today.
Instead, it's stuck at $7.25.
Every time Congress refuses to raise it, it
loses value because the cost of living goes
higher, minimum wage stays the same.
Right now, it's worth 20 percent less than it was
when Ronald Reagan took office.
And over the last year, since I asked Congress to
do something and they didn't do it, that was an
equivalent of a $200 pay cut for the average
minimum wage worker, because it didn't keep
pace with inflation.
That's a month of groceries for the average
minimum wage worker.
That's two months' worth of electricity.
This is not a small thing, this is a big deal.
It makes a big difference in the lives of a lot of
families.
(applause) So members of Congress have a choice to
make, it is a clear choice: Raise workers'
wages, grow our economy -- or let wages stagnate
further, give workers what amounts to another pay
cut.
Fortunately, folks in Connecticut have really
good delegations, so your senators and
representatives are already on board.
(applause) They're all on board.
They're fighting the good fight.
(applause) But anybody who is watching at home, you
deserve to know where your elected official stands.
So just ask them, "Do you support raising the
minimum wage to $10.10 an hour?"
If they say yes, say, "thanks."
(laughter) "Great job."
We need encouragement too, elected officials.
(laughter) If they say no, you should be polite --
(laughter) -- but you should say, "why not?"
Ask them to reconsider.
Ask them to side with the majority of Americans.
Instead of saying no, for once, say yes.
It's time for $10.10.
It's time to give America a raise.
(applause) I want to close by sharing a story
of a guy named Doug Wade, who is here today.
Where's Doug?
I'm going to embarrass Doug.
Stand up.
This is Doug, right here.
(applause) Doug had a chance to meet Secretary
Perez in Hartford last week.
Doug is the President of Wade's Dairy
down in Bridgeport.
(applause) His great-grandfather, Frank
-- is that right?
Frank?
-- started the family business in 1893 -- 1893.
One of the secrets to their success is that they
treat their employees like part of the family.
So Doug pays his own workers fairly.
But he goes a step further than that -- he writes
editorials, he talks to fellow business leaders,
he meets with elected officials to make
the case for a higher minimum wage for everybody.
And keep in mind, Doug spent most of his life as
a registered Republican.
This is not about politics.
This is about common sense.
(applause) It's about business sense.
(applause) And Doug, we were talking backstage,
Doug showed me a paystub because it describes his
own story.
When he was flipping burgers back in 1970, his
employer paid him the minimum wage -- but it
went 25 percent farther than it does today.
So Doug speaks from experience when he says
that, "Things like the minimum wage raise the bar
for everybody."
And he's still got that paycheck.
And it looks like the paycheck I got when I was
working at Baskin-Robbins.
(laughter and applause) The point that Doug and
his family, and his business represents is we
believe in hard work, we believe in responsibility,
we believe in individual initiative, but we also
come together to raise the bar for everybody; to make
sure our fellow citizens can pursue their own
dreams as well; that they can look after their kids
and lift them up.
We look out for each other.
That's who we are.
That is our story.
(applause) There are millions of Americans like
Doug, and like all of you, who are tired of old
political arguments, ready to raise
the bar a little higher.
Let's move this country forward.
Let's move it up.
Let's go further.
That's what I'm going to do as President as long as
I have the honor of serving in this office,
and I need your help.
Let's go out there and give America a raise.
God bless you.
God bless the United States of America.
(applause)