Surprise: Republicans reject minimum wage increase AGAIN
Republicans in the US Senate today rejected a bill by Democrats to increase the federal minimum wage, which hasn't changed in nearly 10 years. The Senate killed the proposal without debating it on the floor or even putting it to a vote.

"When the Democrats control the Senate, one of the first pieces of legislation we'll see is an increase in the minimum wage," said Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy. "Americans believe that no one who works hard for a living should have to live in poverty."

Said House Majority Leader John Boehner, Republican: "I am opposed to it, and I think a vast majority of our (rank and file) is opposed to it....There are limits to my willingness to just throw anything out on the floor."

That's right, added a demon sitting on Boehner's left shoulder. The Senate floor is for debating matters that are more important to American workers, like tax breaks for oil companies, and stopping those damn homos from marrying each other.

Let's reflect back on our wonderful times under the Republican majority.

Since 1997, the Republican-controlled Congress has passed 7 congressional pay raises, increasing their own salaries from $133,600 to $168,500 a year. In seven years, $34,900 [a].

Since 1997, Democrats proposed increases to the federal minimum wage 7 times. The Republican-controlled Congress rejected it every time. [b]

The minimum wage of $5.15 an hour provides an annual gross income of $10,712 to those who earn it.

Thanks to inflation, that wage is worth only $4.03 an hour in 1996 dollars. [c]

Thanks to a Republican-controlled congress, American workers get the shaft on a daily basis.

[a] Congressional Pay vs Minimum Wage
[b] Senate nixes bid to raise minimum wage
[c] Federal Minimum Wage Rates 1955-2006

Surprise: Republicans reject minimum wage increase AGAIN
Republicans in the US Senate today rejected a bill by Democrats to increase the federal minimum wage, which hasn't changed in nearly 10 years. The Senate killed the proposal without debating it on the floor or even putting it to a vote.

"When the Democrats control the Senate, one of the first pieces of legislation we'll see is an increase in the minimum wage," said Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy. "Americans believe that no one who works hard for a living should have to live in poverty."

Said House Majority Leader John Boehner, Republican: "I am opposed to it, and I think a vast majority of our (rank and file) is opposed to it....There are limits to my willingness to just throw anything out on the floor."

That's right, added a demon sitting on Boehner's left shoulder. The Senate floor is for debating matters that are more important to American workers, like tax breaks for oil companies, and stopping those damn homos from marrying each other.

Let's reflect back on our wonderful times under the Republican majority.

Since 1997, the Republican-controlled Congress has passed 7 congressional pay raises, increasing their own salaries from $133,600 to $168,500 a year. In seven years, $34,900 [a].

Since 1997, Democrats proposed increases to the federal minimum wage 7 times. The Republican-controlled Congress rejected it every time. [b]

The minimum wage of $5.15 an hour provides an annual gross income of $10,712 to those who earn it.

Thanks to inflation, that wage is worth only $4.03 an hour in 1996 dollars. [c]

Thanks to a Republican-controlled congress, American workers get the shaft on a daily basis.

[a] Congressional Pay vs Minimum Wage
[b] Senate nixes bid to raise minimum wage
[c] Federal Minimum Wage Rates 1955-2006