Senate To Vote On Minimum Wage Hike: GOP Filibuster Expected

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, joins Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., left, and other senators at a "Back Off Social Security" rally on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, March 28, 2011. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has set up a procedural vote in the Senate for Wednesday to advance a bill hiking the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, a central campaign issue for Democrats ahead of the 2014 congressional elections.

Sixty votes are needed to break a filibuster, and Democrats are unlikely to get there because not a single Republican senator is on board.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), is strongly backed by President Barack Obama. It would phase in the federal minimum wage hike, from the existing $7.25 per house, to $10.10 per hour over three years.

Harkin will be joined by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Al Franken (D-MN) to tout the bill in the Capitol on Tuesday. Democrats have threatened to hold repeated votes on the measure in the event of a Republican filibuster.

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Notable Replies

  1. Why are Democrats not constantly hammering Republicans like Kelly Ayote and Susan Collins for voting with Ted Cruz to deny people a livable wage? They’re not moderate, but no one is calling them out on this! Maine should be a winnable state in '14, and New Hampshire in '16.

  2. The sad thing is, even if it were to pass, 10.10 an hour in 3 years time still wouldn’t be enough to live on.

  3. But yet bring up a bill to lower taxes on millionaires who don’t, you know, actually need the break…see how fast the RWNJs line up to vote for that.

  4. While I agree that a phased in minimum wage increase without something to help it keep up, like tying future increases to inflation, is a foolhardy endeavor, it’s something that Democrats need to be pushing. If the GOP can stage 50+ votes on repealing the ACA, Democrats can hold at least 2 votes on raising the minimum wage.

  5. More Rethuglicans could support the minimum wage hike if the Sterling Provision, commonly known as Cash for BJs, was amended to the bill…

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