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January 10, 2007
Ellsworth Votes to Give Indiana Families a Raise
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-Evansville) today voted for bipartisan legislation increasing the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour over two years and giving over 140,000 Hoosiers a raise. The House passed the bill this afternoon, 315 to 116.
"Minimum wage workers haven't had a raise in nearly a decade - yet Congress has seen fit to raise its own pay six times," said Ellsworth. "That's not right and that's not what the people of Indiana sent me here to do."
The bill will increase the minimum wage by $2.10 - from $5.15 to $7.25 over two years. 60 days after enactment, the bipartisan bill raises the minimum wage to $5.85; to $6.55 one year later; and to $7.25 one year after that.
"As I traveled around the 8th district, I met a man trying to get by on minimum wage. He has an 11-year-old car and pays $250 in rent and, after all his expenses are paid, he has about $10 left from his paycheck to spend for food and anything else," said Ellsworth. "When a welfare recipient can make nearly as much or more than someone who's willing to work full time for minimum wage, then we've got our priorities mixed up. Today, we finally got our priorities straight and gave working families a much deserved raise."
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