Washington – It’s been 10 years since the last pay raise for minimum-wage workers, predominantly the young, single and women, often black or Latino. But that may be changing under the new Democratic-controlled Congress.
The House voted to raise the federal minimum wage Wednesday for the first time in a decade, to $7.25 an hour, as majority Democrats marched briskly through their 100-hour agenda at the dawn of a new Congress.
Ebullient Democrats stood and cheered as the final vote – 315-116 – was announced.
“For 10 years, the lowest-paid Americans have been frozen out,” said Rep. George Miller of California, berating Republicans who had refused for years to allow a vote on a stand-alone minimum-wage increase.
“The little guy is not going to be forgotten any longer,” said Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey.
He estimated the increase would mean an additional $4,400 a year for a family of three.
“The small-business men we are trying to help for the most part are little guys,” countered Rep. Howard McKeon, R-Calif. He said Republicans favor an alternative coupling a minimum- wage increase with tax breaks for small businesses.
Other Republicans argued that raising the minimum wage would hurt employment chances for the lowest-paid workers.
The legislation, which now goes to the Senate, would raise the current $5.15 minimum to $5.85 effective 60 days after the measure became law. The minimum would go to $6.55 a year later and $7.25 a year after that.
The White House issued a statement of opposition to the legislation as drafted. It called for the increase to be accompanied by “tax and regulatory relief to help small businesses stay competitive and to help the economy keep growing.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has signaled that Democrats will accept pro-business changes. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said he and others are working on between $8 billion and $10 billion in relief over 10 years.
Businesses that bring in less than $10 million a year would receive relief under one part of the emerging legislation, and the restaurant industry would be favored under another.
Colorado’s delegation voted along party lines, with the Democrats in favor of the wage hike and the Republicans opposed.
