House Passes Minimum Wage Increase With Tax Cut Package
But GOP Tax cut will bring presidential veto
Dateline: 03/10/00
The U.S. House yesterday passed a bill that would increase the minimum wage by $1 to $6.15 over the next two years, but House Republicans succeeded in passing a companion $112 tax cut bill which President Clinton has promised to veto.
"Once again, the Republican leadership has derailed what should be a simple vote on the minimum wage with a maximum of political maneuvering," stated the president after the Thursday vote. "Congress should send me a bill I can sign, not one I have to veto."
By a roll call vote of 246 - 179, the House passed a bipartisan amendment to bill H.R. 3856 increasing the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.15 over the next two years.
Earlier, the House had passed H.R. 3081, the Republican-backed $112 billion tax cut bill, by a roll call vote of 257 - 169.
The House then passed the combined bill, H.R. 3846 by a roll call vote of 282 - 143.
By combining the two bills, Republicans hoped to prevent House Democrats from passing a stand-alone wage increase and making it a major campaign issue.
House Republicans argue that their tax package will help offset the costs of raising the minimum wage to businesses. Many GOP lawmakers consider the wage increase a "job-killer" and a roadblock to new investment and expansion of the economy.
President Clinton has repeatedly stated that he would veto any legislation containing large tax cuts because they would drain money from Social Security and Medicare.
Before the wage increase bill is sent to the president, differences between House and Senate versions will have to be resolved by a conference committee of both houses of Congress.
A History of the U.S. Minimum Wage 
From a quarter in 1938 to $5.15 today, a table showing the U.S. minimum wage
through the years.
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