Washington — The Republican-controlled Senate smothered a proposed election-year increase in the minimum wage Wednesday, rejecting Democratic claims that it was past time to boost the $5.15 hourly pay floor that has been in effect for nearly a decade.
The 52-46 vote was eight short of the 60 needed for approval under budget rules and came one day after House Republican leaders made clear they do not intend to allow a vote on the issue, fearing it might pass.
The Senate vote marked the ninth time since 1997 that Democrats there have proposed - and Republicans have blocked - a stand-alone increase in the minimum wage. The debate fell along predictable lines.
"Americans believe that no one who works hard for a living should have to live in poverty. A job should lift you out of poverty, not keep you in it," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. He said a worker paid $5.15 an hour would earn $10,700 a year, "almost $6,000 below the poverty line for a family of three."
Kennedy also said that lawmakers' annual pay has risen by roughly $30,000 since the last increase in the minimum wage.
Republicans said a minimum wage increase would wind up hurting the low-wage workers that Democrats said they want to help. "For every increase you make in the minimum wage, you will cost some of them their jobs," said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.
Organized labor supports the legislation, and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said that contrary to some impressions, most minimum wage workers are adults, not teenagers, and many of them are women.
Comments
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erichaar (anonymous) says…
So, to follow Kennedy's line of thinking, if the market-based dollar value of an hour's work doesn't reach a level he deems acceptable, the government, not the market, will set that value? The answer is no, Mr. Kennedy.
Thank you Senators Roberts and Brownback for voting against this legislation.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
If the market likes slavery, the market gets slavery, right Eric?
crazyks (anonymous) says…
Those same wonderful people in congress who didn't think it was necessary for ordinary people to have a higher wage certainly didn't stop themselves from getting one this year.
75x55 (anonymous) says…
Aw... see the labor unions cry since they won't get their vote-drones the massive contract-mandated increases that are keyed to the minimum wage.
Shawna (Shawna Huffman) says…
I think the minimum wage should be increased.
It frustrates me when I hear about their own pay increases the Congress votes into place, no fillibusters there. Yet, when it comes to the wages of others, no increases.
How selfish and sad.
It sounds like time to write another round of letters to my lovely representatives in Washington. They are not representing my voice.
Shawna
staff04 (anonymous) says…
Ahhh....touche bozo. "To follow the logic" comes around to bite someone in the arse...
blessed3x (anonymous) says…
Interesting read.
http://www.mises.org/story/2130
erichaar (anonymous) says…
"If the market likes slavery, the market gets slavery, right Eric?"
Bozo, I like you and I respect your positions because they're generally thought out and well developed. However, a slavery comparison does not deserve a response.
I'd be interested to hear anyone's thoughts on a "living wage." Here are a few of mine. http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2004/apr...
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
The slavery comparison is a bit hyperbolic, but not completely.
No one can possibly live on a wage of $5.15 an hour. Anyone receiving that wage needs subsidization from somewhere just to survive, which means that any company paying that wage is being subsidized in one way or another, and very likely through government funds.
The minimum wage should be a living wage, which would mean that it should be at least double the current level. There could be exceptions to that wage, such as a training wage for those who are actually in a real training program, or those with disabilities that prevent them from being productive enough for a company to be able to them a living wage, and those workers should be eligible for disability payments to make up the rest.
If a business owner can't run a business well enough to pay employees a living wage, they have no business hiring employees. But any employee who can't be productive enough to justify recieving a living wage in a particular job shouldn't be guaranteed continued employment, either.
srj (anonymous) says…
"The worst part about making minimum wage is that the message your boss is sending you, that if he could pay you less, he would"
Damon Wayans
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
maybe the senate should try to live on min. wage for awhile and see how fast they would vote it up.
hilly (anonymous) says…
My thinking exactly momma... anyone notice that the people who are against it really have no experience with living on minimum wage?
Heck, I make $6.50 an hour, work full time and can't even afford to pay my own bills during the summer when I'm out of school.... I can't even imagine what I'd do if I made $5.15.
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
be homeless
oldgranny (anonymous) says…
" The Republican-controlled Senate smothered a proposed election-year increase in the minimum wage Wednesday" Well of course they did. Who would expect anything else from them?
In my day one could live on minimum wage if need be. You might not have lived well. But you could afford a modest apartment or house and maybe even an old second hand car. And you could still buy enough food to at least keep your belly full.
Today on minimum wage you would probably be lucky to afford a roach infested sleeping room. My kids make well above minimum wage and they still sometimes have a little bit of a hard time. And they are not big spenders.
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
min. wage is a joke and the only people who should get it are highschool kids that still live at home.
That sounds wrong, ok i mean only highschool kids getting their first job are the only people who should really get min. wage, this is so they can have a little money in their pockets and learn about spending and saving and this will also help mom and dad when they do not need to go to them for everything.
Once you have been at a job for a year or more then there is now way you should still be getting min. wage and living out side your parents house there is no way you could live on min. wage the senate is just a bunch of over paid yahoooooos.
oldgranny (anonymous) says…
I'm guessing Arminius that you know very little about working at minumum wage or any other wage. Unless of course one can make money at posting repetitive posts on the LJW.
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
no one should have to but many people do work for min. wage and do so for long periods of time. Many reasons for this to many for this forum but bozo saying "no one can live on $5.15 an hour" is true in the meaning that you can not eat and pay rent and buy cloths pay for health care and school or your kids on that and the senate has lost all touch with reality to think people can.
crazyks (anonymous) says…
Sometimes families with two workers can make it if BOTH are making minimum wage. But you still have to do without a lot.
Gosh, Arminius, I guess you're glad there are so many working poor out there, to make you feel superior. If there were no poor people, how would you know you have it so well?
Well, gee, no one expects or plans to make minimum wage their whole life...but a lot of people do. Everyone doesn't have the same opportunities in life, like going to college or being self-employed or having some cushy job waiting for them through the help of a relative.
A lot of people have been downsized out of a job, and the only ones they could find were minimum wage jobs.
And I fail to see why people in congress should make salaries like that anyway. Everything job related is already paid for, by the taxpayers. I don't think they're worth that much pay, considering how little time they actually spend on the job.