Mark Hatfield: “I agree that Congress should increase the minimum wage standard. I have voted for minimum wage increases in the past and…”

“I agree that Congress should increase the minimum wage standard. I have voted for minimum wage increases in the past and I will vote for reasonable minimum wage increases in the future. The minimum wage, established in 1938 by the Fair Labor Standards Act, has been raised 17 times. From 1938 to 1974, the wage was raised from 25 cents to $2 per hour. The last two increases took place in 1990 when the wage level was set at $3.80 and then again in 1991 when it was raised to its current level. I voted both for final passage and the conference report of the wage increases of 1990 and 1991. If the minimum wage had kept pace with the Consumer Price Index, the current level would be $6.85 today. I want to work in a bipartisan fashion with the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts in passing the minimum wage, but I feel the schedule of the Senate is best left in the care of the majority leader in his preparation of the schedule of the Senate.”