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Dems back Clinton to block pay raises

BY GLENN THRUSH | Newsday Washington Bureau

June 28, 2006

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are lining up behind Hillary Rodham Clinton's plan to peg congressional pay raises to hikes in the stagnant federal minimum wage, vowing to bottle up all future House and Senate wage increases.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said yesterday that he'll use parliamentary rules to block a $3,300 annual pay hike, to $168,500, approved by the House on June 13 if it's not accompanied by a minimum-wage increase.

The $5.15-an-hour wage hasn't changed since 1997, while congressional wages have risen by $31,700 over that period.

"We're going to do anything it takes to stop there being a congressional pay raise this year and were not going to settle for this year alone," Reid said. "No minimum wage, no cost-of-living increase for members of Congress."

In April, Clinton and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced a bill linking pay raises to the minimum wage, but it didn't generate much interest until the House voted for the hikes June 13.

In a bit of backstage drama, Reid and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) scheduled a press availability on the issue yesterday afternoon without informing Clinton, much to the consternation of her staff, according to people familiar with the situation. The news conference was hastily rescheduled, and Clinton was invited - although she stayed only long enough to deliver a one-minute statement.

"Several months ago it became clear that this Congress, which will not put the needs of the people first, was more than willing to put their own needs first," Clinton said.

Last year, the Senate voted to block the raises, only to have the hike quietly slipped into a House-Senate conference bill.

"We're not going to let it happen again this year," Reid told reporters without specifying exactly how he'd block the attempt.

A Senate Republican aide said the Clinton-Kennedy bill is "dead," but the majority would likely kill any congressional raise to protect vulnerable incumbents.

Democrats in both houses want the federal minimum wage to rise in 70-cent increments to $7.25 by January 2009. Last week, 52 senators approved a similar raise in a test vote, a solid majority of the upper house that was still short of the 60 votes needed to avert a filibuster.