House Republicans Unanimously Vote Down Minimum Wage Hike

[ProSense]

House Republicans Unanimously Vote Down Minimum Wage Hike

House Republicans unanimously voted down a measure Friday that would have raised the federal minimum wage, from its current $7.25 per hour to $10.10 by 2015.

Six Democrats joined 227 Republicans in voting it down; 184 Democrats voted yes.

The legislation was proposed as a last-minute amendment upon passage of the SKILLS Act, which reauthorizes a jobs training program. The procedural move, known as the motion to recommit, was invoked by Democrats with the instruction that the minimum wage amendment be tacked on to the SKILLS Act, an aide said.

An increase in the minimum wage to $9 was backed by President Obama during this year's State of the Union, and immediately shot down by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). Democrats believe it's a winning issue for them, and Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the author of the amendment, offered a glimpse into how they intend to talk about it.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/house-republicans-unanimously-vote-down-minimum-wage-hike

It should be $10 per hour this year.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Gotta give it to the Republicans. They shoot straight and having the missing toes to prove it.

[Cha]

2. So they can keep Americans on Food Stamps and

whine about it.

[RobertEarl]

3. There is no difference between the parties

Independents have to keep telling themselves that.

It must be getting harder and harder.

[RoccoR5955]

4. It should really be about 15/hr

If it is to keep up with inflation from the 70s.

[David__77]

5. Not quite, according to the BLS inflation statistics.

But I think the BLS statistics may be junk.

http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm

It IS lower now, however. The 7.25 is equal to 2.27 in 1979. The minimum wage then was 2.90. If we were to keep up with 1979, we need it to go up to 9.27. There were a few points when the real minimum wage was higher during the 1970s. My question is, why haven't real living standards risen such that the floor can be RAISED in real terms. We are playing catch up here, which is a failure. With technology, we should be getting rid of crappy jobs and replacing them with higher paying ones.