Democrats Trying To Force Vote on Minimum Wage

[steve2470]

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democrats-trying-force-vote-minimum-wage-n39646

House Democrats launched a discharge petition on Tuesday meant to force a vote on legislation to increase the minimum wage and also highlight Republican opposition to the measure.

The rarely successful parliamentary move would need 218 signatures to force a vote to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. The petition currently has 155 signatures, all of which are Democrats.

The effort, which was officially kicked off at a rally in the Capitol this afternoon, is expected to fail.

Since 1967, only 12 measures have obtained the necessary signatures using a discharge petition to force action on the House floor. In many cases, even if members of the majority party support a measure, they will not buck their own leadership and sign onto a petition filed by the minority.

[PADEMLeftie]

1. Wedge

We need to stretch it through the midterms and use it as a wedge issue against GOP candidates and incumbents.

[Old and In the Way]

2. "Up or down vote"

This was so important when they had control of the legislature. They still have control of the House...why not vote your conscience? Because these chickenshits don't want to go on the record.