House passes minimum wage hike: Braley, Hare back measure

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By Ed Tibbetts | Thursday, January 11, 2007 12:57 AM CST | () comments

U.S. Reps. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, and Phil Hare, D-Ill., voted Wednesday to boost the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to to $7.25.

Both had promised during the 2006 election campaign to do so.

“A minimum wage increase for the working men and women of Iowa is long overdue,” Braley said.

Hare, who gave his first floor speech as a congressman on the subject, called the increase “modest” and also urged that the Congress take a hard look at indexing the wage to keep pace with inflation.

The last time the minimum wage went up was 1997. The increase will be phased in over about two years.

The measure is part of a six-piece legislative package Democrats are moving on in their first two weeks in control of Congress.

Ed Tibbetts can be contacted at (563) 383-2327 or etibbetts@qctimes.com.