The following is a statement by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy following her vote to allow Congress to consider increasing the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. The legislation failed while the House voted to cut taxes on estates worth more than $3 million:

"A quick glance at the federal government's bank book indicates it is in no position to afford luxuries. In fact, our government was forced to cut New York's homeland security funding by 40 percent. Yet, Congress has decided to spend another $762 billion on the repeal of the estate tax.

"According to the IRS, only 422 estates in New York State would pay the estate tax in 2009, if the current law remained in place. With a national debt of more than $8 trillion and ongoing expenses such as the War on Terror, we simply cannot afford a tax repeal that benefits such a small segment of the population.

"Instead of providing tax breaks we cannot afford to our most fortunate citizens, we should be helping those struggling to get by. Far too many American families are struggling to save enough money for health insurance for their kids, next month's rent check and school supplies.

"More than 6.6 million Americans work for the minimum wage, which has not been increased since 1997. And these earners are not just high school kids working summer jobs. Nearly three-quarters of minimum wage earners are older than 20 years old and hundreds of thousands are single parents.

"Adjusted for inflation, the minimum wage is at its lowest level since 1968. For millions, an hour's worth of work barely pays for a gallon of gas.

"Despite rhetoric to the contrary, giving low income workers more buying power is not detrimental to our economy. In fact between 1997 and 2003, states that adhered to a higher minimum wage saw their small business employment increase at a higher rate than federal minimum wage states. And inflation-adjusted small business payroll growth is 6 percent stronger in high minimum wage states than in federal minimum wage states.

"But Congressional leadership is doing all it can to prevent a minimum wage increase from taking place. Despite a minimum wage increase being passed by Democrats and Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee, House leadership is against increasing the minimum wage to $7.25 over two years.

"Congress has turned its back on millions of working Americans living in poverty, and instead spends nearly a trillion dollars it doesn't have on tax breaks for the wealthiest American families. It defies common sense and ignores fiscal responsibility.

"This year, many families have had to adjust their spending habits to reflect the reality of this economy. Congress should be no different. Those making the decisions under the Capitol dome need to listen to what's being discussed at America's kitchen tables."