Democrats kept their word on Thursday. They had promised to raise the minimum wage to a livable wage, and in a 231 to 199 vote they did just that. 228 Democrats voted to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 (and they were joined by 3 Republicans -- Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Rooney of Florida, and Smith of New Jersey).
Sadly, six Democrats joined 193 Republicans in voting to keep the minimum wage a poverty wage. Those Democrats are Brindisi of New York, Cunningham of South Carolina, Horn of Oklahoma, McAdams of Utah, Schrader of Oregon, and Torres-Small of New Mexico. Gabbard of Hawaii did not vote.
The bill would raise the minimum wage in stages:
$8.40 hr. in 2019
$9.50 hr. in 2020
$10.60 hr. in 2021
$11.70 hr. in 2022
$12.80 hr. in 2023
$13.90 hr. in 2024
$15.00 hr. in 2025
It's a good bill, and it would raise the wages of over 30 million workers. And that extra money will be spent since it goes to people who need it -- and that will boost the economy, which will help businesses.
But don't celebrate yet. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wasted no time in saying he would not allow the bill to come to the Senate floor for a debate and vote. This bill will just join over a hundred others passed by the House which McConnell has blocked.
Of course McConnell is LYING. The bill would not depress the economy, but would boost it significantly. And most legitimate research has shown raising the minimum wage is NOT a job killer. He's just trying to repay his corporate donors (who are afraid raising the minimum wage will put upward pressure on all wages).
This whole thing makes it very clear. Republicans are the party of the rich and corporations. Democrats are the party that cares about American workers.
Voters should remember that in November of 2020.
