Earlier this week, when talking to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie declared that he is “tired of hearing about the minimum wage.”

Christie went on to say, “I gotta tell you the truth, I’m tired of hearing about the minimum wage. I really am. I don’t think there’s a mother or father who’s sitting around a kitchen table in America tonight saying ‘You know honey, if our son or daughter could just make a higher minimum wage, my God—all our dream would be realized.’”

Well maybe Chris Christie is tired of hearing about the minimum wage but what moms and dads across the country are really tired of is having to earn just $14,500/year because Congress refuses to raise the wage to $10.10.

Chris Christie should pull up a chair to those kitchen table conversations, because we have heard from these moms and their concerns are real---whether he is tired of hearing about them or not!

You know who IS sitting around a kitchen table talking about how increasing the minimum wage would make some dreams come true? The ADULTS who are trying to support their families on just $7.25/hour.

Chris Christie listen up! MomsRising has heard from these moms and here are their real stories:

“I am a married mother of one who lives in Florida. My husband works at a temporary job that he has had for the last two years making minimum wage, and I work for Red Roof Hotels, also at minimum wage. Our health insurance through the new healthcare system costs us nearly $600 a month, and our daughter's adds over $100 more to that now, because according to the federal government, we do not qualify for assistance. My husband pays child support for three children in their later teen years, and our daughter is eighteen months old. Our car insurance is nearly $100 a month. In order to pay basic health insurance and car insurance (which is required in Florida), and have food for our daughter, we went into debt paying for our home, and were evicted. We now live in a three hundred square-foot room at the hotel I work for, which deducts $300 every two weeks from my check. I have had to go on WIC to be able to provide enough food for our daughter, and both my husband and I eat one meal a day. My husband is currently searching for a second job, which puts us in the position of taking on another bill in order to have child care at night when I work, and we can't even meet our expenses now. When you say the minimum wage is enough to live on, I don't know what cost of living you are looking at, but to me it seems impossible to surmise that it would come even close to being able to meet even the most basic of needs.”-Cynthia, Jacksonville, FL

“I am a single mother of four with two still young and living at home. I work for a local grocery store. I have no choice but to have to receive food stamps since I can only work part time in order to take care of my sons. Like most women I do not receive child support for my children even though it's court ordered. Ask yourself, ‘do you think you could feed two young boys on $7.50 an hour?’ I am making myself ill not eating so my kids can eat. I have started to loose my hair due to malnutrition.”-Erin, Mauldin, SC

“When my husband and I separated I was working as a cashier at a grocery store working part time hours making $7.50 an hour. After almost a year working there, my hours got cut thanks to a new grocery store opening up down the road, which got more traffic. I was working only 10 hours a week and I didn't qualify for unemployment because I didn't make enough and I was only getting $180 a month in cash assistance and less than $500 for 4 kids in child support. I was only living in a one bedroom apartment at the time. I was practically working just to get to and from work because a daily bus pass is $4 or a monthly pass is nearly $50! If the minimum wage goes up, people will be able to take care of their families plus have money to spend and the market will go up.”-Vicky, Reading, PA

“My husband and I work in the food service industry. Combined, our two salaries come to $22,000 per year. My husband works 40-50 hours per week, and I work 37-40 hours. We never see each other, much less spend time together as a family. Every month we struggle to make the rent and put gas in the car that we borrow from my husband’s family because we don't have the money to buy a car. I haven't been ‘grocery shopping’ in months. I believe that the minimum wage should be high enough that, if you work full time, you can frugally support yourself on it. As of right now, to survive on minimum wage is impossible.”-Victoria, Dallas, TX

“I was a server for 15 years and raised four kids on a servers' wages plus tips.  Depending on other people to tip you, which doesn't always happen, can be the most stressful part of being a server.  There were many nights that I didn't even make enough to pay my babysitter without digging into money put away for rent or utilities or groceries.  We struggle 80% of the time to even make enough to pay the absolute necessities, never mind anything extra.”- Rita, Indian Rocks Beach, FL

Maybe Chris Christie should just take a nap and rest up. In the meantime we need you to add some MOMentum to our fight to raise the wage. Write Congress today and tell them WE are tired of them not raising the minimum wage: http://action.momsrising.org/sign/momsraisethewage/