Talent Votes 11th Time Against Raising Minimum Wage

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ST. LOUIS -- Today, an amendment that would raise the minimum wage from $5.15/hour to $7.25/hour over the next two years failed to reach the 60 votes needed to pass the U.S. Senate. Continuing his record of not fighting for Missouri's working families, Jim Talent voted against the increase, his 11th career vote against increasing the minimum wage. U.S. Senate Candidate Claire McCaskill criticized Talent's vote and reaffirmed her support for raising the minimum wage.

"Jim Talent has once again cast his lot against Missouri's working families," said McCaskill. "Rather than support a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $7.25/hour, he voted to eliminate the minimum wage, overtime, and equal pay rights for thousands of Missourians."

Even though the minimum wage has not been increased since 1997, Jim Talent chose to vote instead for an amendment that would be the death of the 40-hour work week and reduce overtime wages for Missouri workers. Talent voted to reduce wages by replacing the 40-hour work week with an 80-hour two week accounting period. Under current law, a worker who worked 50 hours in one week and 30 in the next gets 10 hours of overtime pay. Under the Talent-backed amendment, the same worker would receive no overtime pay.
http://www.claireonline.com/pressRelease.jsp?key=261&t=

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1. Project Vote Smart

Talent's Interest Groups Ratings

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H2173103


Some examples...

2005 Senator Talent supported the interests of the Americans for Tax Reform (GROVER NORQUIST) 95 percent in 2005.

2004 On the votes that the Americans for Tax Reform (GROVER NORQUIST) considered to be the most important in 2004, Senator Talent voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.