Senate Republicans defeated a proposed minimum wage hike bill today, that would have raised the federal minimum wage to $7.25, by a vote of 52-46.
CNN.com quotes Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Massachusetts), saying:
"I don't think the Republicans get it," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy...who backed a proposal for a three-step increase in the current wage floor to $7.25 an hour. The federal minimum wage has been fixed at $5.15 an hour since 1997.
Republicans opposed the bill with the usual "logic" that raising the minimum wage would discourage companies from hiring employees if they had to pay them more, thus losing jobs. A person working for minimum wage makes $10,712 annually, a whopping $8,638 below the poverty line for a family of four ($19,350 in 2005). (thanks, Tomtech).
Commentary after the cut.
As Al Franken pointed out during his radio program yesterday, the Senate and House have had their own pay raised since 1997 by almost $32,000. Of course, their job is important--if it weren't for the House and Senate, who would pass legislation favoring their corporate donors?
What Ted Kennedy said really hit the nail on the head for me: "I don't think the Republicans get it." The party that constantly accuses progressives for being out of touch with the mainstream is in reality, a party that doesn't get it...ever. Raising the minimum wage has not been shown (link to Jared Bernstein's excellent diary on the subject) to cause "disemployment" for workers.
But, since facts don't ever seem to work on these people, can we at least talk about human decency? Don't you people "get it"--it's not about what's good for business, sometimes. Businesses aren't your constituents. Businesses aren't who you're meant to be representing in Congress. The people are your constituents, your concern, and all your actions toward the meekest among us--who, by the way, Jesus was a huge fan of--should be toward bettering their situation in life.
Repubs, when the hell are you going to "get it"? Senator Kennedy and I would like to know.