House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) showed his disdain for working Americans this week by attacking House Democrats for passing a $15 minimum wage, and immediately received backlash.
In an op-ed published by the right-wing Heritage Foundation, McCarthy gave President Donald Trump complete credit for the economy even though it was former President Barack Obama who rebuilt the economy following the Great Recession Republicans caused in 2008. The record gains achieved during Obama’s tenure continued under Trump, who leeched off Obama’s economic policies in order to claim that he’s the one who saved us from economic ruin.
Trump’s massive tax cuts for the wealthy and global trade wars now threaten to unravel the economic growth, and wages have largely remained stagnant even though we have seen token increases, albeit minor ones that are not enough to keep up with inflation and the higher prices Trump’s trade wars are about to cause.
That’s why House Democrats took on the wage issue this week by passing a bill that would finally raise the current $7.25 federal minimum wage to $15, a move that would immediately double paychecks across the country for millions of workers, allowing them to pay their bills and pump money back into the economy.
But McCarthy pushed fear-based propaganda in response to the effort, claiming that millions of Americans would be laid off from their jobs if the minimum wage is raised, arguing that the market should decide wages. Of course, if that were the case, companies across the country would likely try to pay their employees less than the current $7.25 an hour.
The fact is that many billion-dollar companies like Walmart and fast-food industry giants like McDonald’s pay workers so little that they have to rely on government aid to get by. And that’s unacceptable when the CEOs of these companies are making multi-million dollar salaries.
McCarthy posted his op-ed on Twitter and accused Democrats of trying to erase the economic gains he falsely says Trump is responsible for.
Democrats are dead set on erasing all the economic gains that America has made under President @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/jow5rmYb1m
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) July 18, 2019
Americans were having none of it.
You are lying Full stop.
— northierthanthou.com (@Brimshack) July 20, 2019
Now we wee the strategy. If the economy crashes next year (which i think we will have a minor recession in early 2020) then the GOP will blame it all on the democrats or Fed. Nevermind that economic cycles are just that, cycles.
Growth for the sake of growth is cancer.— Sponge Daddy Hawk (@SpongeDaddyHawk) July 20, 2019
The economy roaring along is thanks to President Obama.
Trump and the #GOP have been unable to kill it despite tariffs and the #TaxScam.
— I Sputter Online (@SputterOnline) July 18, 2019
GOP playbook: Oppose raising min wage, show hatred to immigrants, destroy entitlements and healthcare, give huge tax cuts to billionaire donors, then cloak themselves in the flag and accuse the opposition of wanting to destroy economy.
— Patriotic American (@4gotnMen_Women) July 18, 2019
Giving farmers bailouts because of your own policies doesn’t constitute economic growth.
We’re going on 121 months of steady economic growth. Trump had nothing to do with it. You can thank Obama for that. Trump is just playing the market, making his friends money.
— Lady Jaye (@LadyJ41) July 20, 2019
What gains? I paid 4000.00 more in taxes last year.
— KeWeiss (@KeWeiss1) July 18, 2019
Whose gains? pic.twitter.com/vM9qOyRM7g
— Resister Sister (@artist4ever) July 19, 2019
Hey remember when Republicans couldn’t whine enough about the deficit? Sure you do. That was three years ago. Trump has doubled the deficit, and he’s running the good economy Obama left him into the ditch. If you’re gonna pander, Kevin, you’re gonna have to try harder.
— Anita Creamer (@AnitaCreamer) July 20, 2019
House Democrats just did more for Americans by passing this bill than Republicans have ever done. Republicans only care about themselves and their wealthy friends. They’ve been demonizing the minimum wage since it first took effect during the Great Depression in 1938. And if they had their way, Americans would be paid slave wages and we’d go back to being a sweatshop economy reminiscent of the 19th century.
And if you don’t believe that could happen, Trump’s acting Secretary of Labor was a sweatshops lobbyist.
It’s pretty clear that that’s the future Republicans want for Americans. House Democrats see a much better one, and proved it by passing a minimum wage hike.
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