We knew this was a Catch-22 piece of legislation, and Dems had no choice but to block it. I'm talking about raising the minimum wage being tied to the estate tax.
Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked legislation tying the first minimum wage increase in almost a decade to a decrease in the federal estate tax, denying Republicans a legislative victory as lawmakers head into a crucial month of campaigning before the November elections.
Republican backers of the measure, dubbed the trifecta for its three chief elements, fell 4 votes short of the 60 needed to cut off debate. Democrats had argued that it was a bad bargain to exchange a $2.10 wage increase for struggling workers for a costly tax cut for the country’s wealthiest families.
“This trifecta is a high-stakes gamble with America’s future,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat. “This is the worst special-interest bill I have seen in my time in Congress.”
No kidding, this is the worst special interest bill.
So, what are the GOP nut jobs saying now? That Dems are turning thier backs on working families. Yeah, fucking, right! Let's set the record straight here. The GOP-elite have continually denied workers an increase in the minimum wage, for 9 years. The only way the ruling elite would even consider an increase in the minimum wage was to tie it to a regressive piece of legislation that would benefit only a few families in this country. Any increase in wages for workers would be negated, because the tax liability would be shifted to the working class. But, we expected this.
Republicans said the legislation represented the best opportunity to advance an increase in the minimum wage that Democrats have been advocating for years, and some predicted the Democratic opposition could boomerang. Republicans said the proposal balanced the interests of both workers and employers.
The proposal did nothing of the sort. This was a political concession for the ruling elite, simply becasue there is so much support for raising the minimum wage among the people of this country. This legislation was purposely designed to make compassionate senators vote against it, so that the repugnuts could use the loss in their campaigns to keep their jobs this November. The very sad fact is, the ruling elite could give a shit about low-wage workers.
Don't forget that on the House floor, TN's "Mayberry Machiavelli" out and out stated that low-wage workers don't mean a damn thing to the ruling elite.
Frist, in his collective stupidity, insists that any increase in the minimum wage MUST be tied to uber-rich welfare.
Mr. Frist again declared that the minimum wage rise could only be considered in tandem with the others. “As I’ve said before, these issues must be addressed as a package all or nothing,” he said.
Despite Mr. Frist’s vow to let the wage increase die, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, said Democrats would hold the Senate in session this fall if there were not a second vote. “If he is serious about that threat, I hope he knows he has a fight on his hands,” Mr. Reid said.
Damn straight there will be a fight on his hands, if he continues to link welfare for the uber-rich to an increase in minimum wage. Minimum wage workers deserve to have a vote based solely on their needs, and not tied to welfare for the uber-rich.
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