WALSH: HOUSE LEADERSHIP COMMITS TO TIMELY
MINIMUM WAGE VOTE

(Washington D.C.)- Congressman Jim Walsh said today that House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, the leadership official with responsibility of coordinating Congressional floor activity, has committed to a vote on raising the minimum wage.

"Leadership has indicated to me that it will bring legislation raising the minimum wage to the House floor for a vote as early as this week," said Walsh.  "An increase in the federal minimum wage is long overdue."

Working with a small coalition of Northeast centrists to obtain this commitment from leadership, Walsh has consistently supported an increase, most recently supporting an amendment back in June to the FY 2007 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill to do so and cosponsoring separate legislation, H.R. 3413, authorizing an immediate increase.

Walsh indicated it was unclear whether the soon-to-be scheduled vote would be on stand-alone legislation or part of a larger package that might include small business tax incentives.

END

(####)

Home | Press List