Thomas Daschle: “once again, I commend the distinguished Senator from Utah for appealing to reason and calm. I was thinking just as I was…”

“once again, I commend the distinguished Senator from Utah for appealing to reason and calm. I was thinking just as I was listening to his thoughtful remarks about how easy it would be to easily insert the minimum wage as he made an appeal for compassion, for doing what is right, for bipartisanship, for some appreciation of the magnitude of this problem as it affects those people who are directly going to be the beneficiaries, should the legislation pass. Indeed, one could make that case, that it is time for us to put aside our partisan differences and do what is right, recognize that it has been a long, long time--5 years--since we passed the minimum wage. The purchasing power is the lowest it has been now in 40 years. I would be willing to commit this afternoon to the chairman of the committee that we will vote for cloture, we will vote for final passage if he can work with me this afternoon to get a commitment for an up-or-down vote on minimum wage immediately following the vote on this particular bill.”