Articles
National Public Radio: Democrats Talk-Up Minimum-Wage Increase
07/24/2007
ROBERT SIEGEL: From NPR News, this is All Things Considered.
I'm Robert Siegel.
Today, there is a new federal minimum wage rate: $5.85 an
hour. It's the first phase of a minimum wage hike that will eventually take the
rate up to $7.25 an hour. This is the first piece of legislation [of the six
for 06] passed by the new Democratic majority in Congress to take effect. That
had party leaders cheering on Capitol Hill today, even as they are chagrinned
to find Congress' standing with the public at historic lows.
And as NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports, Democrats still are
trying to tangle with
ANDREA SEABROOK: If you believe the polls, American citizens
are fed up with Congress. In fact, approval ratings for Congress are as low now
as they were for the Republican-controlled Congress last fall, before voters
elected Democrats in droves. So, when the new leadership organized a slough of
radio interviews today, they had one goal in mind: trumpet their success in
raising the minimum wage.
Representative CIRO RODRIGUEZ (Democrat,
SEABROOK: This is Texas Democrat Ciro Rodriguez.
Rep. RODRIGUEZ: ...going up and by 2009, it will be seven
dollars and a quarter and that is significant. It's going to impact some 13
million Americans.
SEABROOK: More in
Representative RAHM EMANUEL (Democrat,
SEABROOK: Emanuel has his own take on why Americans
disapprove. He says they're impatient with how slowly Congress is working.
Rep. EMANUEL: As you know, patience ain't my fortitude. I'm
as impatient as the American people. The changes we want to bring about - they
want. They want it faster than the pace that Congress is working on. And I
agree with the American people.
SEABROOK: Whose fault is it they aren't happening fast?
Rep. EMANUEL: (Unintelligible) there's enough blame to go
around. There's forces, special interest forces that are trying to stop this
progress. Look, take the minimum wage. The Chamber of Commerce, National
Federation of Independent Businesses opposed them for the last 10 years and
opposed them even now, even though it got bipartisan support to get it done.
SEABROOK: For her part, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has her
own idea about why Americans are fed up with Congress. One word:
Representative NANCY PELOSI (Democrat,
SEABROOK: Sure, Pelosi says, there are other things, like
energy independence and affordable health care.
Rep. PELOSI: But I believe that the overriding issue in the
country is the war in
SEABROOK: Does it actually feel like a failure?
Rep. PELOSI: It's not a failure on our part. We're not - we
don't have the signature. We have succeeded in changing the debate in the
Congress of the
SEABROOK: You might ask Speaker Pelosi what does that mean,
that the Congress won't rest until the war has ended.
Rep. PELOSI: This Congress will continue to legislatively
judge the president's action. We will put people on record. We will send
legislation to his desk.
SEABROOK: The speaker said she will hold votes this week on
a bill to bar permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq and a measure to give
National Guard and reservists at least as much time at home as they spend on
deployment. And next week, the bill to fund the entire Department of Defense
for next year comes to the House floor. Pelosi promises more pushing on
Andrea Seabrook, NPR News, the Capitol.