Congress Approves Minimum Wage Increase
It's about fucking time.
The House today approved Democratic-written legislation that would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, the first such hike in 10 years.
In one of the Democrats' first victories since taking control of Congress last week, House members voted 315 to 116 to raise the federal wage floor by $2.10 over two years.
The bill calls for the current $5.15 minimum wage to move to $5.85 an hour 60 days after President Bush signs it into law, to $6.55 an hour a year later and to $7.25 an hour a year later.
The hike "is simply a matter of doing what's right, what's just and what's fair," House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) said before the vote was taken, adding he regretted the full increase could not be implemented immediately.
Even though life at $7.25 an hour still sucks, a minimum wage hike has been overdue for years, and this is a major victory for working Americans.
The House today approved Democratic-written legislation that would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, the first such hike in 10 years.
In one of the Democrats' first victories since taking control of Congress last week, House members voted 315 to 116 to raise the federal wage floor by $2.10 over two years.
The bill calls for the current $5.15 minimum wage to move to $5.85 an hour 60 days after President Bush signs it into law, to $6.55 an hour a year later and to $7.25 an hour a year later.
The hike "is simply a matter of doing what's right, what's just and what's fair," House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) said before the vote was taken, adding he regretted the full increase could not be implemented immediately.
Even though life at $7.25 an hour still sucks, a minimum wage hike has been overdue for years, and this is a major victory for working Americans.