Obama pushes again for minimum wage increase

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is again encouraging Congress to pass a bill raising the minimum raise to $10.10 an hour.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says increasing the pay for minimum-wage workers would help 28 million workers. He says Republican lawmakers not only don't want to increase the minimum wage, some want to get rid of it entirely.

In a dig at Republicans in Congress, Obama says they have taken more than 50 votes against his health care law but resist one vote on the minimum wage bill.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140426/DADDOCU00.html

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U.S. President Barack Obama waves upon his arrival for his three-day visit in Malaysia, at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Subang, Malaysia, Saturday, April 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

[Jefferson23]

1. Recommend. n/t

[davidthegnome]

2. As long as we have this Republican congress...

it's not going to happen. Even the senate is too bogged down with republican obstructionists to really get moving on this. While I like the idea, and could sure use an extra 2.10 an hour, I can't bring myself to get excited about it. This is why we need to get out the vote in the upcoming elections, and again in 2016. We need people who are willing to move on, to vote in favor of progress and the benefit of ALL of our people, not just the wealthy and super wealthy - or, as Bush once said, "My favorite people, the haves and the have mores."

It is a very unfunny, very disturbing joke that the Republican party remains so powerful when they are unapologetically against just about anything that could actually create progress or forward movement. When they are so very obviously and so very adamantly in favor of the rich and opposed to the working and poor class.

If we don't get out the vote, we will see another congress like this one, perhaps even a Senate that is marginally worse than the one we have right now. As for the Presidency... imagine a President Christie, or Jeb Bush. There isn't a whole lot of time left before the near future of politics will be decided by American voters. We all know that when we have more, we win. The fact of the matter is that there are a lot more of us on the left than there are on the right. A lot more people who are in favor of the right things - progress, charity, stability, social and economic justice.

Imagine ten years from now, an overwhelming democratic majority in the house and senate. Imagine a minimum wage of not just 10.10, but 15 dollars per hour. A system of universal, single payer healthcare. All of these things can be done if we can convince enough people to get out there and make a few marks on a ballot.

[Ash_F]

3. Don't stop. You want the 2014 congress, don't you? /nt

[riversedge]

4. Thank you Pres. Obama