Durbin Calls on Republican Congressional Leadership to Support Democratic Plan for Minimum Wage Increase

DURBIN CALLS ON REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP TO SUPPORT DEMOCRATIC PLAN FOR MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE

Friday, May 20, 2005

At a time when millions of working Americans are living below the poverty line, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged the Republican leadership to support the Democratic plan to increase the minimum wage. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2005, introduced by U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), would provide economic relief to 7.3 million Americans by increasing the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour from $5.15 an hour.

"If you get up and go to work every day in America, if you follow the rules and show up for work, you shouldn't live in poverty," Durbin said. "But as the prices for gas, health care and rent continue to rise, month after month, year after year, Republicans continue to block any increase in the federal minimum wage."

Durbin added, "It is a matter of priorities. Republicans are breaking the rules of the Senate to confirm extremist judges instead of using the rules of the Senate to help hard working families."

Minimum wage employees who work 40 hours a week earn $10,750 a year -- $5,000 below the poverty line for a family of three. The Minimum Wage Act of 2005 would increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 over 26 months. The increase would take place in three separate steps - by 70 cents two months after enactment, by 70 cents one year after enactment, and by 70 cents two years after enactment.

The last time Congress raised the minimum wage was in 1997. Following that increase to $5.15 an hour, the economy experienced its strongest growth in more than three decades. In January, however, Illinois raised its minimum wage to $6.50 an hour. As a result, almost 800,000 workers in Illinois received a raise.

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=238237&&