Democrats Talk Up Minimum-Wage Increase

The new, higher minimum wage takes effect Tuesday, and House Democrats want everyone to know it, as impressions of the 110th Congress have been negative.




Today, there is a new federal minimum wage rate: $5.85 an hour. It's the first phase of a minimum wage hike that will eventually take the rate up to $7.25 an hour. This is the first piece of legislation passed by the new Democratic majority in Congress to take effect. That had party leaders cheering on Capitol Hill today, even as they are chagrinned to find Congress' standing with the public at historic lows.



Representative CIRO RODRIGUEZ (Democrat, Texas): Today's an important day. Today we raised the minimum wage from $5.15 to $5.85.

SEABROOK: This is Texas Democrat Ciro Rodriguez.

Rep. RODRIGUEZ: …going up and by 2009, it will be seven dollars and a quarter and that is significant. It's going to impact some 13 million Americans.


Representative RAHM EMANUEL (Democrat, Illinois; Chairman, House Democratic caucus): If we're not going tout our success, it ain't going to be recognized. There's enough in the paper about failures. There's also should be room for accomplishments.

SEABROOK: Emanuel has his own take on why Americans disapprove. He says they're impatient with how slowly Congress is working.

Rep. EMANUEL: As you know, patience ain't my fortitude. I'm as impatient as the American people. The changes we want to bring about - they want. They want it faster than the pace that Congress is working on. And I agree with the American people.

SEABROOK: Whose fault is it they aren't happening fast?

Rep. EMANUEL: (Unintelligible) there's enough blame to go around. There's forces, special interest forces that are trying to stop this progress. Look, take the minimum wage. The Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses opposed them for the last 10 years and opposed them even now, even though it got bipartisan support to get it done.


Representative NANCY PELOSI (Democrat, California; Speaker of the House): They're sick of the war. Sick. Sick over this war and sick of this war, and they want change. Put me down as disapproving, too. I wish we had ended the war already myself.



SEABROOK: Does it actually feel like a failure?

Rep. PELOSI: It's not a failure on our part. We're not - we don't have the signature. We have succeeded in changing the debate in the Congress of the United States and in the country on this war. We have succeeded in putting bills on the president's desk, which he has vetoed. We have to overcome a 60-vote hurdle in the United States Senate where they are obstructing the ability of the senators to have majority rule. But that's, you know, it's no use to complain about it. We just have to continue to make the fight. And the president is in the fifth year of his war. We're on the eighth month of our term of office, and we will not rest until this war is ended.

SEABROOK: You might ask Speaker Pelosi what does that mean, that the Congress won't rest until the war has ended.

Rep. PELOSI: This Congress will continue to legislatively judge the president's action. We will put people on record. We will send legislation to his desk.


Andrea Seabrook, NPR News, the Capitol.




