THE PRESIDENT is gratified by the action of the House of Representatives in sustaining his veto of the bill to raise the minimum wage. As he stated in his veto message, this bill would have been inflationary and would have penalized the workers who can least afford it by jeopardizing employment opportunities for low wage earners and the unemployed, especially nonstudent teenagers.
The President wishes to commend the House for this responsible action, which was made possible by the courageous votes of many Members to sustain the veto in spite of intense pressure exerted upon them in the opposite direction.
It is now up to the Congress to replace the vetoed bill this year with a new bill which will bring the minimum wage in line with the increased cost of living while doing so in a way that helps to check inflation and that protects jobs for lowincome workers. President Nixon reaffirms his pledge to cooperate fully with the House and Senate to achieve speedy passage of this urgently needed legislation.
Richard Nixon, White House Statement on House Action Sustaining the Minimum Wage Bill Veto. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/255258