Members on opposite sides of the Congressional aisle had opposite reactions to the national minimum wage rising today to $7.25 an hour. Here are excerpts from Members who released statements...

Speaker Pelosi: "Tomorrow, millions of hardworking Americans will be getting a raise. As the final step of the minimum wage increase goes into effect, studies have shown we are also stimulating the economy by giving hardworking Americans the income they need to buy groceries, fill up their gas tanks, and get their children ready to head back-to school."

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer: "Tomorrow's increase in the minimum wage couldn't come at a time when it was more needed--for our families or our economy. For minimum-wage workers and their families, the raise will make it easier to make ends meet. And our economy will benefit from the increased consumer spending that will result, which, in turn, can help preserve jobs."

Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price: "America is often called the Land of Opportunity, but misguided policies like minimum wage mandates make job opportunities harder and harder to find. This wage hike will hurt the very same Americans it is intended to help by putting strain on the payrolls of the small businesses that drive job creation. When employers can't afford to pay the higher wages, they will respond by cutting workers' hours, laying off employees, and refusing to make new hires."