The week after the Republican-controlled Senate said no to increasing the minimum wage, Senate Democrats said they would block pay raises for members of Congress until the minimum wage is increased:
"We're going to do anything it takes to stop the congressional pay raise this year, and we're not going to settle for this year alone," Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said at a Capitol news conference.
"They can play all the games the want," Reid said derisively of the Republicans who control the chamber. "They can deal with gay marriage, estate tax, flag burning, all these issues and avoid issues like the prices of gasoline, sending your kid to college. But we're going to do everything to stop the congressional pay raise."
The minimum wage has been $5.15 an hour for nine years. The Democratic plan would raise it to $7.25. During the past nine years, as Democrats have tried unsuccessfully to increase the minimum wage, members of Congress have voted to give themselves pay raises -- called "cost of living increases" -- totaling $31,600, or more than $15 an hour for a 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year, according to the Congressional Research Service.
In floor debate last week Republicans argued the raise for low-income workers would hurt small businesses. They offered an alternative measure to raise the minimum wage that was tied to tax breaks for small businesses.
The main proposal fell eight votes short of the 60 it needed to pass with 46 opposing; the alternative measure mustered only 45 votes in favor, while 53 senators opposed.
Reid wouldn't spell out the specific tactics he would employ to block the congressional pay raise -- which is triggered each year with the passage of an appropriations bill not by a vote on a stand alone bill to increase pay for members.
But he warned, "I know procedure's around here fairly well."
Thank you Senate Democrats! Maybe Americans will see what real leadership is all about and vote to place that leadership in the majority.
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Amen.....and anyone who thinks minimum wage shouldnt be increased should die.. plain and simple
So you'd rather have the unemployed die, instead? Because that's what an increase in minimum wage would mean. If you raise minimum wage, you raise the economic disparity of the unemployed and the homeless. You don't want that, do you?
--Mike
Where there's a will, there's a way.
How about putting a cap on the salaries of all politicians for awhile,and cut back on extravagant government spending which we all pay for. I've never lived above the so-called poverty line, which I think needs to be seriously reconsidered. My husband and I were thinking that perhaps the politicians who are making the policies which affect the people they SAY they are trying to help, might want to come live with those people for awhile in order to gain an understanding of REAL LIFE. They need to know the rest of our stories, rather than simply going blithely along making policies with their mostly uninformed opinions.
How many politicians would give up a portion of their salaries to make a real difference? Or even give up a bit of their time and their usual conveniences to have a go at truly understanding what so many of their constituents are living with on a daily basis? How many politicians have gone hungry, without medical care, been punished for not having enough money to pay for things like car insurance, electricity, adequate housing, legal costs, without transportaion,or educational costs? When has a politician had a very painful toothache for months on end, knowing that an infection could result in more complications, but living on hope and faith that things will get better?
Ok, that last one is a personal issue, that I am dealing with, but it's just one example of what many of us go through for years on end, which politicians seem to have no clue about.
Healthier people are more productive, and better able to contribute to society in all ways. I realized long ago, that I am not helping much as far as being a consumer goes. I've also known that I am not so concerned about obtaining a wealth of material goods, so I guess in a way I've learned how not to go into debt in order to be happy. Poverty has taught me some good lessons about life, that's for sure. And politicians need a basic lesson too.
thats a whole lot of republican bullshit. businesses dont want to give up their profit margin. employees are treated as just another business expense. no one gives a fuck that theyre human beings that deserve to make enough to keep a roof over their head and eat. Raising the minimum wage, if anything, would contribute to more money being spent in the economy thereby helping the situation not creating the disparity nazis, ahm...i mean republicans would like you to believe it would.
Money is relative to how much money people have. If the average American makes 24.00 an hour, and minimum wage were raised such that the average American made 30.00 an hour, then 30.00 after the wage hike would be equal to what 24.00 was before the hike. All it would mean is that those who don't have a fixed income have to scrounge even harder to make it from day to day. Not only that, it would mean a raise in taxes because now the poor need MORE MONEY to survive. Hooray economics!
--Mike
I have a friend who is employed at the hospital where I work. He is raising a twelve year old son alone on minimum wage, has never owned a car, and squeaks out just enough to keep the two of them sustained. I would happily pay a little more for my fast food hamburger just so his standard of living is somewhat better. Anyone who would deny this good honest citizen a few more of the material things is forgetting what we used to be all about in this country.
It wouldn't raise his standard of living at all. Just because his paycheck has a higher number, doesn't mean he's any more well off. Also it would mean that the money he's saved is worth less.
--Mike