While the bankruptcy bill is a corporate welfare atrocity, as MSO and others have pointed out, Dems are at least trying to get some benefit out of it by
attaching an amendment to raise the minimum wage:
Kennedy offered an amendment to an unrelated bankruptcy bill (S. 256) that would raise the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour in three 70-cent increments. The first hike would occur 60 days after enactment, with two subsequent increases scheduled for the first and second anniversaries of the initial increase.
[snip]
Speaking on the Senate floor, Kennedy noted that the federal minimum wage has not been raised in eight years. "At the present time, the minimum wage has fallen to the second lowest level in the history of the minimum wage," he said, adding that his proposal increases the federal wage floor to a "reasonable level."
Recognizing that the Democrats have the more popular argument, Republicans are trying to offer an alternative to increase the minimum wage, but by just a token amount, with unspecified exceptions for so-called "small businesses" [read -- industries with heavy campaign contributions]:
Senate Republican Conference Chairman Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) said he would offer a Republican "alternative" to Kennedy's amendment (36 DLR A-2, 2/24/05). . . He is expected to introduce an amendment to raise the minimum wage by $1.10 to $6.25 per hour. The amendment also will include some small business tax provisions, he said at a March 2 press briefing.
"I do understand the need, now that it's been almost eight years," Santorum said. The Republican minimum wage proposal will include language "to address the issue of small businesses," he added. He did not offer details on that statement.
Not surpising that the Repubs would give Santorum this one, since he is their most endangered incumbent. Unfortunately for Santorum, however, a number of Republicans will not support ANY increase to the minimum wage. Therefore, as long as Dems withhold support for the inadequate Santorum alternative, the only viable proposal to raise the minimum wage will be the Kennedy bill.
Let's hope the Dems stick together on this one.