Today, the new minimum wage takes effect. It's the first increase since September of 1997. I'm at the United States Capitol. Democratic Members of Congress are touting this accomplishment, which came in the face of fierce GOP resistance. I'll update this post throughout the day.
Talked first to Rep. George Miller (D-CA) who is the chair of House Committe on Education and Labor -- and the main sponsor of the new law. He told me that "it's the most important day in ten years in the low-wage earners lives." The hourly rate increases 70 cents an hour, which might not sound like much -- but it adds up for food, rent and other essential expenses.
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) also stopped by. He's making a name for himself on the House Judiciary Committee where he's been very forceful with witnesses involved in the U.S. Attorneys scandal. Rep. Cohen thinks it is "very symbolic that it's the first accomplishment" of the Democratic Congress. It wasn't planned that way, but this is one of the first progressive pieces of legislation that Bush allowed to become law.
Also, just had the chance to speak with Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA). The man is brilliant. Just brilliant. He knows the economic arguments and how to rebut the right wing talking points. Rep. Frank says that we will see that raising the minimum wage does not cause job loss, which has been a main argument of conservatives. But, that's a "conservative myth" in Frank's view. He also wishes that the increase could have been greater, but that it does help low wage earners "stay afloat." Rep. Frank chairs the House Financial Services Committee and is now working to expand supply of affordable housing. Seriously, the guy is a force majeure...a very, very smart force.
UPDATE:
Had a couple more interesting conversations. Rahm Emanuel stopped by. He talked about the focus it took to get this law enacted. He also noted that today's New York Times has an article about a huge corporate tax break -- pushed by Bush and the GOP Congress -- that produced no jobs:
Two years ago, when companies received a big tax break to bring home their offshore profits, the president and Congress justified it as a one-time tax amnesty that would create American jobs.
Drug makers were the biggest beneficiaries of the amnesty program, repatriating about $100 billion in foreign profits and paying only minimal taxes. But the companies did not create many jobs in return. Instead, since 2005 the American drug industry has laid off tens of thousands of workers in this country.
That's the GOP approach to the economy. Meanwhile, Democrats had to fight for ten years -- and regain control of Congress -- to get a minimum wage increase.
Three Democratic issues, and on each issue, the GOP states are at the bottom of the barrel. Yet they still vote Republican because stopping a gay couple from getting married matters more to them than keeping their children alive, getting them a good education, and then a good job. You deserve the government you get.
