Senate Dems Reject Minimum Wage Increase

The GOP set a nifty little trap for the Dems when they introduced a bill to increase the minimum wage. In addition to that provision, it also included an estate tax cut, a long held goal of the GOP. The Dems now have the privilege of explaining to their voters why they rejected a minimum wage hike:

A Republican election-year effort to fuse a cut in inheritance taxes on multimilllion-dollar estates with the first minimum wage increase in nearly a decade was rejected by the Senate late Thursday.

Republicans needed 60 votes to advance their bill, which links a $2.10 increase in the $5.15 federal minimum wage over three years to reductions an estate taxes next decade. Passed by the House last Saturday, the bill got a 56-42 vote, four votes short of succeeding.

For Republicans, the combination could have neutralized a Democratic campaign issue while also advancing an estate tax cut, a priority that may have an uncertain future if the GOP loses seats in Congress in November's election.

The GOP strategy put Democrats in an uncomfortable position. Either they could vote against the bill — thus rejecting a minimum wage increase — or they could vote for it — thus agreeing to cut taxes on multimillion-dollar estates. Most rejected the bill, blocking a GOP victory months before the election.

It was certainly an election year stunt on the part of the GOP, but the Dems had made a minimum wage hike part of their "new direction for America" campaign promise, and when they had a chance to deliver, they failed.