By a 230 to 180 vote, the U.S House of Representatives raised the minimum wage for the first time in 10 years on Saturday.
The minimum wage, stuck at $5.15 an hour, will gradually increase by $2.10 over three years in three increments, reaching $5.85 in January 2007, $6.55 on June 1, 2008, and $7.25 on June 1, 2009.
An estimated 8 million American workers work for minimum wage.
Needless to say, House Republicans – out of touch with the overwhelming majority of American opinion who support raising the minimum wage, managed to attach a rollback in the Federal estate tax for millionaires.
The GOP bill passed Saturday exempts $5 million of an individual’s estate and $10 million of a couple’s from estate taxes by 2015. Estates worth up to $25 million would be taxed at capital gains rates, currently at 15 percent and scheduled to rise to 20 percent.
Minimum wage workers and Paris Hilton got something to smile about.
From the Left 
Unfortunately, by 2009, $7.25 probably won’t be much better than $5.15 is today. I guess we have to be thankfule they did anything, but they really should have raised it higher as of right now.
And Nicole. Don’t forget Nicole Richie.
Good point. Inflation will by 2009 eat up much of the wage increase the GOP is claiming they’ve granted to the working poor.
Perhaps, the time has more than arrived in the USA for a revolution? Tear it down and start over.
The elites at the top own far too much of America’s wealth while the number of poor continues to grow.
Gee, $5.85 by this January? So the working poor will able to buy 1.67 gallons of gasoline. Splendid!