GOVERNMENT RELATIONS UPDATE
September 22, 1998

Senate "Kills" Minimum Wage Increase

 

Minimum-wage workers across the country will NOT be getting a raise. The Senate today put an end to hopes that a bill to increase the minimum wage (S. 1805/H.R. 3510) would be enacted before Congress adjourns this fall.

The bill's sponsor, Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), offered the increase as an amendment to the Bankruptcy Reform Act (H.R. 1301), but it was defeated by a vote of 55-44. The vote was on a motion to table (or kill) the amendment and split pretty much along party lines. The vote follows.

There are no current plans to revisit the minimum wage issue in either the Senate or the House. Senate Democrats now plan to focus efforts on passing legislation on managed care.

Thanks to all who urged Members of Congress to support the minimum wage increase.

Additional information on the minimum wage can be found on this website under Advocacy -- both current and archived.

VOTE TO TABLE AMENDMENT #3540 -- TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE

"YES" vote is to table or "kill" amendment; "NO" vote is in support of the amendment.

NASW position: Vote "NO".

FINAL VOTE: 55 - 44 TO TABLE.

ALABAMA

Shelby (R) – Yes
Session (R) – Yes

 ALASKA

Stevens (R) – Yes
Murkowski (R) – Yes

 ARIZONA

McCain (R) – Yes
Kyl (R) – Yes

 CALIFORNIA

Feinstein (D) – No
Boxer (D) – No
DELAWARE

Roth (R) – Yes
Biden (D) – No

 FLORIDA

Graham (D) – YES
Mack (R) – Yes

 GEORGIA

Coverdell (R) – Yes
Cleland (D) – No

 HAWAII

Inouye (D) – No
Akaka (D) – No
IDAHO

Craig (R) – Yes
Kempthorne (R) – Yes

 ILLINOIS

Moseley-Braun (D) – No
Durbin (D) – No

 INDIANA

Lugar (R) – Yes
Coats (R) – Yes

 IOWA

Grassley (R) – Yes
Harkin (D) – No
KANSAS

Brownback (R) – Yes
Roberts (R) – Yes

 KENTUCKY

Ford (D) – No
McConnell (R) – Yes

 LOUISIANA

Breaux (D) – No
Landrieu (D) – No

 MAINE

Snowe (R) – Yes
Collins (R) – Yes
MARYLAND

Sarbanes (D) – No
Mikulski (D) – No

 MASSACHUSETTS

Kennedy (D) – No
Kerry (D) – No

 MICHIGAN

Levin (D) – No
Abraham (R) – Yes

 MINNESOTA

Wellstone (D) – No
Grams (R) – Yes
MISSISSIPPI

Cochran (R) – Yes
Lott (R) – Yes

 MISSOURI

Bond (R) – Yes
Ashcroft (R) – Yes

 MONTANA

Baucus (D) – No
Burns (R) – Yes

 NEBRASKA

Kerrey (D) – No
Hagel (R) – Yes
NEVADA

Reid (D) – No
Bryan (D) – No

 NEW JERSEY

Lautenberg (D) – No
Torricelli (D) – No

 NEW MEXICO

Domenici (R) – Yes
Bingaman (D) – No

 NEW YORK

Moynihan (D) – No
D'Amato (R) – NO
NORTH CAROLINA

Helms (R) – Yes
Faircloth (R) – Yes

 NORTH DAKOTA

Conrad (D) – No
Dorgan (D) – No

 OHIO

Glenn (D) – Did Not Vote
DeWine (R) – Yes

 OKLAHOMA

Nickles (R) – Yes
Inhofe (R) – Yes
OREGON

Wyden (D) – No
Smith (R) – Yes

 PENNSYLVANIA

Specter (R) – YES
Santorum (R) – No

 RHODE ISLAND

Chafee (R) – Yes
Reed (D) – No

 SOUTH CAROLINA

Thurmond (R) – Yes
Hollings (D) – YES
SOUTH DAKOTA

Daschle (D) – No
Johnson (D) – No

 TENNESSEE

Thompson (R) – Yes
Frist (R) – Yes

 TEXAS

Gramm (R) – Yes
Hutchison (R) – Yes

 UTAH

Hatch (R) – Yes
Bennett (R) – Yes
VERMONT

Leahy (D) – No
Jeffords (R) – Yes

 VIRGINIA

Warner (R) – Yes
Robb (D) – No

 WASHINGTON

Gorton (R) – Yes
Murray (D) – No

 WEST VIRGINIA

Byrd (D) – No
Rockefeller (D) – No
WISCONSIN

Kohl (D) – No
Feingold (D) – No

 WYOMING

Thomas (R) – Yes
Enzi (R) – Yes