Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted against a Republican package late tonight that included provisions on the minimum wage, estate tax and other tax extenders (H.R. 5970).  Larsen voted against the bill to demonstrate the need for Congress to bring clean minimum wage legislation, void of provisions and packaging, to the floor of the House of Representatives.  Larsen, who strongly supports raising the national minimum wage, expressed his disappointment in Republican leadership’s unwillingness to hold a straight up or down vote on the issue.

Larsen released the following statement on his vote:

“Let me be clear: I strongly support raising the national minimum wage to $7.25.  But I believe that Americans deserve a clean minimum wage bill that would offer a fair vote on the issue.”

“I have consistently supported legislation to fix the Estate Tax.  In June of this year, Congress took a stand alone vote on estate tax legislation to protect small business owners.  American workers and their families deserve the same treatment on a minimum wage vote.

“Today, Republican leadership continued to hold hostage the possibility of a minimum wage increase.  For the past nine years, Democrats have been fighting to increase the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour.  Time and again Republicans poisoned these efforts by forcing the minimum wage legislation to be packaged with controversial measures.”

“Predictably, the Republican majority continued this tactic today, at the expense of workers across the country.  These maneuvers mock the importance of raising the minimum wage and hurt Americas lowest paid workers.”

“An individual working full time, earning $5.15 an hour, makes approximately $10,700 a year.  This just doesn’t cut it. At a time when poverty levels are rising and thirteen percent of the children in our country wake up not knowing where their next meal will coming from, it is critical that Congress works to raise the minimum wage and bring hope to families who struggle to make ends meet.” 

“I call on the Republican majority to bring a clean, straight up or down vote on raising the minimum wage to the floor of the House of Representatives when we return from the August district work period.”

###