Rep. Takano: “An absolute shame and a disgrace that my Republican colleagues had the intention of bringing Dr. Joseph J. Sabia as a witness”
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Ranking Member on the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections issued this statement after the House Education and the Workforce Committee Majority cancelled the Subcommittee Hearing on Mandating a $15 Minimum Wage following the revelation of Republican witness Dr. Joseph J. Sabia’s past homophobic and sexist writings:
“It is an absolute shame and a disgrace that my Republican colleagues had the intention of bringing Dr. Joseph J. Sabia as a witness before the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. Dr. Sabia’s past writings included incredibly sexist and homophobic themes that should automatically disqualify anyone from speaking as an expert before a Congressional Committee on any issue – let alone be invited as a witness for a hearing by any Member of Congress.
“Dr. Sabia does not represent the values of the American people. Given his views, the fact that he was going to appear before the Subcommittee to discuss matters related to raising the minimum wage makes this even more insulting – we know that women and members of the LGBTQ community would greatly benefit from raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
“Instead of simply postponing this hearing – which would have been the first hearing on the federal minimum wage that Republicans have held in 8 years – my Republican colleagues on the Committee should have issued a strong rebuke disavowing this witness and let the hearing go on. American workers deserve a hearing and honest debate on raising the federal minimum wage, it is unfortunate that this hearing will not be happening because of my Republican colleagues’ oversight of the repulsive views of one of their witnesses.”
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