Senator Bob Casey declared his support for an increase in the federal minimum wage today.
Casey is backing S.460, the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013. The bill currently has 32 co-sponsors in the Senate, all of whom are Democrats.
“Raising the minimum wage is about basic fairness and economic security for Pennsylvania’s workers and families,” Senator Casey said. “Congress should have an up or down vote on raising the minimum wage. Passing this bill will increase Pennsylvania’s GDP by over $1 billion and add thousands of jobs. It will have positive economic impacts for the entire state not just those working for the minimum wage.”
Sen. Pat Toomey’s office said the Senator was on the road and not available to comment.
S.460 would lift the national minimum wage from its present level of $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour. This rise would take place through three annual incremental steps of 95 cents each until 2016. It would also raise the percentage of the minimum wage that tipped workers receive from 29%, or $2.13 per hour, to 70%, eventually $7.07 per hour. This would also be done through annual increases of 95 cents. Finally, the bill would index the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index.
This news comes amidst a new nationwide push for an increase in the minimum wage. President Obama recently called for lifting the minimum wage during his speech on income inequality. Additionally, protests have erupted nationwide against fast food companies over employees’ complaints about their low pay.
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6 Responses
Every time a minimum wage increase is proposed, right-wing big business cries, “It will cost jobs! It will destroy the economy!” But every time the minimum wage goes up, no jobs are lost and the economy improves. It’s an empty threat, and people aren’t buying it anymore.
Sen Casey must have gotten his usual lockstep marching orders from Reid/Pelosi/Obama.
I would like to know Senator Casey’s economic forecasting model that allows him to draw the conclusion “this bill will increase Pennsylvania’s GDP by over $1 billion and add thousands of jobs”? I contend it will have quote the opposite results the Senator hopes it will have. Because the minimum wage binds–exceeds the equilibrium wage–the minimum wage causes unemployment. So–if minimum wage is taken from where it stands now at $7.25 and is raised to $10.10, this would move the wage floor even further away from equilibrium thus further increasing unemployment. It is in any event ironic that Senator Casey wants to increase “economic security for Pennsylvania’s workers” by increasing the minimum wage when it will, in fact, harm many of them by causing them to be unemployed.
I wonder what all these class warriors will say when the “poor fast food workers” and other low skill, low wage employees are replaced by Sheetz-esque touch screen ordering systems?
Thank God for Senator Casey.
31 Democrats + Bernie Sanders.