Braley is the champion the middle class needs

In the current minimum-wage debate going on in Congress, we need the voices of Americans who will fight for working class families.

Rep. Bruce Braley is that voice. He knows what it's like to have a middle-class upbringing.

He grew up in the small town of Brooklyn, Iowa, where his father worked in a grain elevator while his mother was a teacher. Braley himself worked on road construction, in grain elevators, and as a dump truck driver to help pay for his college education. He is uniquely suited among elected officials to understand the issues that affect middle-class families.

Right now, we need these types of voices representing us more than ever.

The cost of living is on the rise - student loan debt, medical costs, as well as the cost of food and gas are putting a financial strain on middle-class families. This isn't healthy for our economy - the middle class has historically provided the demand for goods and services that has made our economy thrive.

Braley's plan of raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and having it increase automatically with inflation is a good idea. It provides economic stability to the working families that need it most. We need a champion of the middle class such as Braley to take that fight to the Senate.

Carletta Knox-Seymour

Cedar Rapids