Apr 5, 2007

Minimum Wage Increase Stalled In Iraq PoliticsSource: SAF

House members, who thought an increase in the minimum wage would be easy, are now fighting with the Senate as well as the President, who has said he would sign an increase in the minimum wage. A difference of more than $10 billion between tax relief packages attached by the House and Senate now requires a conference.

The House included its wage increase/tax package in the 2007 emergency war supplemental spending bill, and the Senate package is included in its Iraq supplemental spending bill. While the Democrats have made the minimum wage increase the cornerstone of their “100 hours” agenda, the President has issued two separate veto threats on the Iraq bill: on the troop withdrawal provisions and the additional $20 billion in spending. The next step would be a House-Senate Conference Committee on the Iraq bill when Congress returns from spring recess in mid-April.

To learn more, go to www.safnow.org.