The vote was 315 for the bill to 116 against - click the link to see a roll call vote listing how each Rep voted. We're proud that the members of Congress the WFP helped elect in November - including new members Kirsten Gillibrand, Mike Arcuri and John Hall - all did the right thing.
It's been 1997 since the last increase in the minimum wage. This increase will take the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 over 26 months. Working families are entitled to a real living wage, and this minimum wage increase is a very good start in that direction.
Now it's the U.S. Senate's turn to pass the same bill as the House. Raising the minimum wage nationwide will help bring working families closer to making ends meet and put more money into the economy. But some Senators are getting distracted and talking about putting budget-busting tax cuts together with a minimum wage increase. That's not the kind of change Americans voted for last November.
Senator Clinton and Senator Schumer are both important leaders in the U.S. Senate. They can make sure the U.S. Senate passes a bill to raise the minimum wage, and make sure that bill is clean and doesn't get loaded down with tax breaks and favors for powerful interests.
Tell Senator Clinton and Senator Schumer to hold the line and pass a clean bill to raise the minimum wage now - with no strings attached - at:
http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/takeactionAll eyes are on the Senate - let's win this one!
Technorati tags: Working Families Party | minimum wage
3 comments:
Interestingly the same bill has been introduced in 2003 and 2004, yet many of our New York representatives would not allow those bills to be brought to the House floor for a vote.
I wrote about the situation in NY13 and Rep. Fossella's history of voting on this and similar bills;
http://ny13.blogspot.com/2007/01/vito-opposed-minimum-wage-bill-long.html
All of New York's Democratic members of Congress voted to increase the minimum wage, but someone should go through and list how each of New York's Republican members voted. We'd link to it.
All New York congressmen except Republican Tom Reynolds voted for the minimum wage increase. Yes, that means 5 of the 6 Republicans voted yes, along with all 23 Democrats.
Post a Comment