John Kerry: “let me say, in all respect, in response to the majority leader, we had a vote in the U.S. Senate last year and 51 U.S.…”

“let me say, in all respect, in response to the majority leader, we had a vote in the U.S. Senate last year and 51 U.S. Senators voted that we should take up the minimum wage before the end of the last session. We did not do that. Now we are back. I did not even know about the AFL. I am glad you told me. Maybe I can arrange to get to the meeting. But I did not even know they were in town. We announced our intention to offer an amendment some time ago--Senator Kennedy, who has been leading on this effort, together with Senator Wellstone, a group of us--this has been something we have been trying to do for a number of years. The fact is, it is getting more necessary, not less, as a consequence of the fact that the wage each day is worth less. So, I say to the majority leader, we can always find a group that is in town at some period of time when some legislation is on the floor, and we all know Republicans collect far, far more money from interest groups than Democrats ever do. If we want to start pointing fingers at whose money comes from where, that is a different debate. The fact is, working people do not get the kind of money any of us get from anywhere, even from their work. That is what this debate is all about. Folks who are working and cannot even pay for medical insurance, let alone rent, let alone food. So I regret the majority leader will not say we can have a vote on this, will not even say we could have one by June. Therefore, Mr.…”