In mid-July, Kennedy pointed out that last year while Congress members gave themselves a $4,600 annual pay increase, the 11 million minimum-wage earners in the U.S. brought home only $10, 712 annually, that is, if they worked full time all year without taking any vacation time off. That figure is more than $3,000 below the poverty line for a family of three. And while congressional pay has increased $39,400 since 1991, minimum wage workers have received only $1,870 more.

Two minimum wage bills, S192 and HR325 will be debated in Congress this fall. Each bill proposes to raise the current federal minimum wage of $5.15 by 50 cents on September 1, 1999 and another 50 cents on September 1, 2000. This would give minimum wage workers $6.15 an hour or $2,000 more per year.

"A full day's work should mean a fair day's pay," Kennedy said in defense of his bill. "But for millions of Americans who earn the minimum wage, the pay is unfair."

Action
Write, call, and e-mail your representative to support Kennedy's proposal. You can contact your congressional representative online or call them free of charge at 1-888-449-3511.

Farm Crisis
This summer U.S. farmers have endured low commodity prices and, in many regions, one of the worst droughts in recent history. Many farmers will not be able to recoup their production costs, let alone make a profit. This compounds small farmers' ongoing struggle in a market that is increasingly becoming concentrated among a few.

Following its recess, the Senate will debate the agriculture appropriations bill (S1233), which includes $7.4 billion allotted to farmers dealing with low commodity prices. The House appropriations bill (HR 1906) does not include this assistance, while the Clinton Administration is still seeking funds for disaster assistance for those regions devastated by the drought.

Action
Call your representatives and ask that they support the Senate's $7.4 billion in emergency funding, but include drought assistance in the final version of the Agriculture Appropriations bill.

Phone: Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Write: Your Congress Rep., U.S. House of Representatives,Washington, DC 20515 or Your Senator, U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510