Republican Congressman: ‘I Would Vote To Repeal The Minimum Wage’

Congressman Joe Barton of Texas wants to rid the country of the minimum wage.

Barton’s not the only lawmaker to hold such a view. In June, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) told a meeting of the Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee to mark 75 years since the signing of the Federal Labor Standards Act, which guaranteed a minimum wage, that he “do[es] not believe in it” and that he would abolish the minimum wage. And while he hasn’t called for the full repeal of the minimum wage, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has said, “I don’t think a minimum wage law works.”

The minimum wage historically helped many families stay out of poverty. Up until the early 1980s, making the annual minimum wage income lifted a family of two above the federal poverty line. At its peak in 1968, it was enough to lift a family of three out of poverty. Yet despite rising inflation and worker productivity since then, the minimum wage has failed to keep up. It would be over $10 an hour today if it had risen with inflation since that high, and if it had kept pace with gains in productivity it would be more than $20 an hour.

The GOP wasn’t always this extreme.

…they weren’t always against a raise. At least 67 Republicans who are still serving in Congress today supported an increase under President George W. Bush, including Alexander and [Paul] Ryan. Yet House Republicans unanimously voted down an increase in March.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.