Endangered House GOPers Seek Summer Cover
A group of 25 moderate House Republicans -- most of them affiliated with the Northeast/Midwest-heavy GOP labor caucus -- have penned a letter to Maj Leader John Boehner seeking a vote to increase the minimum wage before the August recess. The list of signees includes many of the House GOP Conference's most vulnerable members: All three from CT, NY Rep's John Sweeney and Jim Walsh, plus PA'ans Curt Weldon and Michael Fitzpatrick.
Not on the list? Rep's Bob Ney (OH) and Jim Gerlach (PA), perhaps the two most vulnerable House incumbents. Both have said previously that they support a minimum wage increase, but they and their endangered colleagues have hung with the party in opposing procedural efforts by House Dems to force a vote on the issue.
But with over 1/2 dozen Dem challengers filing FEC reports showing $1M+ cash on hand and grim polling continuing to come back from the field, some may be tempted to follow Rep. Chris Shays's (CT) lead in signing the discharge petition. These Republicans from Dem-leaning districts desperately want to get on the record supporting a minimum wage increase.
It is tough year to run as blue-state Republican, and they need all the legislative favors Boehner and the leadership can provide. Having to vote against motions allowing a minimum wage vote every week Congress is in session into the fall isn't one of them.
[JONATHAN MARTIN]
UPDATE: Looks like Boehner and Co released the Conference. By a margin of 260-159, the House this afternoon passed a non-binding "motion to instruct" procedure in support of upping the minimum wage to $7.25 per-hour. Though symbolic, the vote allows the vulnerable GOPers to point to an actual vote matching their promises. All the endangered GOPers on the letter voted 'yea,' as did Ney and Gerlach.
The vote also provides the Dems with a record of which GOPers can now be targeted as having opposed increasing the minimum wage. Those opposing it, as Rahm surely scribbled down, included: Mike Sodrel (IN), Charlie Taylor (NC), Thelma Drake (VA), Dave Reichert (WA) and J.D. Hayworth (AZ).
Oh, and we are told that Ney should've been on the above letter all along, but was accidentally omitted. He is on now.
I don't suppose the list of 25 "moderate" House Republicans included Rep. Dave Reichert (WA-08) did it?
On the 11th Sweeney voted to keep the minimum wage from coming up on the floor (I think it was vote #360).
More say one thing and do another. Of course, all the non binding things are the easiest to do.
What the hell are you doing too america, seperating the classes of people more everyday.When are you going to give too the working class and quit giving to the rich. The working class are haveing to work 2 jobs, just to equal what they made before you and the GOP illegally gained control of congress. You will rip what you have sewn, and the GOP party will too.