one restaurant owner telling me she d normally have four dishwashers. she has one. it s not just restaurants. plenty of people are saying take this job and shove it. so let s talk about the potential long-term effects here for both workers and consumers. right. i mean, when we think about this entire pandemic and what it s done to really put a focus on low-wage workers and the impact they have on our economy, it s very grand. and so what sooef been seeing in the past several if not months but the past year or so since the pandemic began is that a much more, a greater focus on the fact that low-wage workers want more. they ve been asking for more. they ve been arguing for higher minimum wage and asking for the federal minimum wage floor to be lifted. what we re now catching up on in many states over half of the states in the u.s., are actually proposing it to raise the minimum wage in 202. we re seeing a reckoning coming forward which is looking at the lower wage workers and the folks
but that s what most folks go through every single day. republicans in congress have blocked any increase in minimum wage this year. but it is worth remembering that two of the last three minimum wage increases were, in fact, signed into law by republican presidents george w. bush and his father. the third was passed when republicans controlled both houses of congress under president clinton. can we expect any action at the federal level or are cities and states now ground zero for better wages and workers rights? here to discuss all this, we have neera tan den, the president of the center for american progress. in pittsburgh we have theresa gillducci, a labor economist. and paul sand with the national employment law project. neera, i want to start with you on this question. it s been so hard to get anything done at the federal level. it s so important we have a high enough federal minimum wage