Senate Republicans block minimum wage increase
Assholes.
WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a Democratic bill to increase the federal minimum wage for the first time in a decade, demanding it first include small-business tax relief.
Democrats fell short of the 60 needed to end debate and go to passage of the House-passed measure, which would raise the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour from $5.15 per hour over two years.
Republicans demanded tax breaks be added to the legislation to help small business cover the proposed pay hike for millions of America's lowest paid workers. Senate Democratic leaders have indicated they would be willing to go along with some sort of tax relief if necessary to win approval.
posted by Phriendly Jaime at
12:30 PM
3 Comments:
If the minions can't live off of $5.15/hr., they need to work on their budgeting skills, or maybe (gasp!) educate themselves.
Damn, those Republicans.. Isn't true that the Republicans tried to get a wage increase last year but it was rejected by the democrats because the Republicans had included an estate tax to the bill? Has it not been known that Republicans have stated that they will pass this bill if it is amended to include a tax break for small businesses? If like you stated that democratic senators would be willing to go along with some sort of tax relief if necessary. Did they do that? Did they amend this bill?
This seems to say the opposite of the CNN article:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, scheduled Wednesday's vote to demonstrate the Democrats' lack of support for a straight minimum wage bill without tax cuts.
Reid is backing an $8.3 billion tax package that would extend for five years a tax credit for employers who hire low-income or disadvantaged workers. It also extends until 2010 tax rules that permit businesses to combine as much as $112,000 in expenses into one annual tax deduction.
Sounds like the Dems are divided too.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/24/minimum.wage.ap/index.html
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