Kennedy To Offer Minimum Wage Amendment To The Supplemental

Press Release

KENNEDY TO OFFER MINIMUM WAGE AMENDMENT TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL

This afternoon, Senator Kennedy will offer his minimum wage bill to the Iraq Supplemental legislation. His bill, which raises the minimum wage from $5.15 - $7.25 in three steps, passed both the House and the Senate earlier this year. Unfortunately, Republicans have prevented the minimum wage bill from going to conference until they can make sure it includes a big enough tax giveaway for businesses. Had Congress sent the bill to the President right away, minimum wage workers would already be making 70 cents more per hour and 50,000 military families would be benefitting from this increase.

"In the ten years since the minimum wage was last increased, we've given $276 billion in tax breaks for corporate America, along with an additional $36 billion in dedicated tax breaks for small businesses," Senator Kennedy said. "Both the House and the Senate have passed tax packages to accompany the minimum wage bill. But still that's not enough. The Republican leadership still is still putting up roadblocks to stop us from doing the right thing for working families. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle share my view that it is long past time to give minimum wage workers the raise they deserve, and that we can act quickly to approve this important amendment."

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