Candidate Supporting Minimum Wage Increase

NEW BRITAIN — Chris Murphy, the Democratic candidate for Congress in Connecticut’s Fifth District, joined with Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) and Connecticut House Majority Leader Chris Donovan recently, calling on Congress to raise the federal minimum wage. Mr Murphy, Congresswoman DeLauro and Rep Donovan appeared at a press conference in Meriden, where they were joined by families financially pressed by stagnant wages.

“How can the Republican Congress vote for pay increase after pay increase without giving working families a raise in the minimum wage? This summer, the Republican Congress stalled on voting to increase the minimum wage, rejecting seven attempts to do the right thing. Nancy Johnson is proud to call herself part of the leadership of this Republican Congress, and she wholeheartedly supports its agenda, which blatantly ignores the needs of working families,” said Mr Murphy.

The federal minimum wage has been frozen at $5.15 since 1997 even though Congress has voted to raise its own pay nine times in that same period. Minimum wage is at its lowest level in 50 years, adjusted for inflation, according to the Center for Economic Policy and Research.

Recent efforts in Congress to raise the minimum wage — which is earned by an estimated 6.6 million workers — failed after Congressional Republicans attached provisions that would have given huge tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans, Mr Murphy contended.

“Even as it torpedoed any chance of passing a minimum wage increase this year, this Republican Congress has shown no such reticence when it comes to giving themselves a raise, voting recently to raise members’ pay by another $3,300, the ninth Congressional pay raise since 1997,” said Ms DeLauro. “We need a new direction in Congress, one that raises living standards for America’s families.”

In the state legislature, Mr Murphy has repeatedly supported increases in the state minimum wage. Most recently, he supported legislation that has increased the state minimum wage to $7.40 an hour as of January 2006 and will further increase it to $7.65 an hour as of January 2007.

“Connecticut has consistently done the right thing and raised the minimum wage and Chris Murphy was always there to support it. Whenever we voted on the minimum wage, it was a vote just on the minimum wage. There were no tricks or hidden agendas. Our concern was for low wage earners and paying them a decent rate,” said Rep Donovan.

“We’ve done the right thing here in Connecticut. I don’t understand why Congress won’t follow our example,” said Mr Murphy.