Democrats vow to block pay raises until minimum wage increased

[Jon8503]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Democrats ratcheted up their election-year push for an increase in the federal minimum wage Tuesday by promising to block a congressional pay hike unless some of the lowest-paid hourly workers get their first raise in nearly a decade.

"Congress is going to have earn its raise by putting American workers first: A raise for workers before a raise for Congress," said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Reid refused to spell out exactly how he will block a $3,300 pay raise scheduled for January 1 for members of Congress, who currently earn $165,200 annually. He said with 40 Senate Democrats backing the maneuver, "We can stop anything they (Republicans) try to do with a congressional pay raise."

Democrats in the House and Senate want the $5.15-per-hour federal minimum wage, in place since 1997, to rise in 70-cent increments to $7.25 by January 1, 2009.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/27/congress.wage.reut/index.html

[NC_Nurse]

1. Hell, yeah!

That's the LEAST they can do. A living wage would be much higher, and faster.

[liberal N proud]

2. Didn't congress just give themselves a pay raise?

If so, this is just talk.

[Patchuli]

5. Yep, and Reid's going to block it

That's the point. No more for the Congressional piggies until they take care of the 'little people' who pay them!

[hughee99]

7. I believe they just passed the pay raise

but it hasn't gone "into effect" yet. The plan is to somehow block the implementation.

[liberal N proud]

8. HOPE they can get it done

They don't need a pay raise in the first place but then to say that raising the minimum wage can't be done is just hypocrisy

[robinlynne]

3. nice move. about time.

[Master Mahon]

6. Exactly!

Lets see if more then a handful of democrats support it!

[malaise]

4. Great move Dems n/t

[jerry611]

9. Neocons will not budge on this issue

Corporations want to drive labor costs down, not up. That's why they love these illegal immigrants. They work for peanuts!