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