Clinton Assails GOP on Delay in Wage Boost

WASHINGTON — Seeking to undercut the Republican tax-cutting message as the GOP prepared for its national convention, President Clinton charged Saturday that Congress had cost each of the nation’s lowest-paid workers “more than $900 in hard-earned pay” by delaying action on a minimum wage increase.

“As recently as this week, the [GOP] majority in Congress was still talking about raising the minimum wage, but they couldn’t bring themselves to actually do it,” Clinton said in his weekly radio address.

The last minimum wage increase came in 1996, in two phases, first to $4.25 an hour and then to $5.15 in October 1997. More than a year ago, Clinton proposed a $1 increase, to $6.15, over two years.

Clinton complained that, as congressional leaders rushed to complete action on several issues last week before beginning a monthlong recess, “they were still working overtime to give tax breaks to the tiniest, wealthiest fraction of America’s families and still doing nothing for the 10 million people who would benefit from a boost in the minimum wage.”

The Republican-led House and Senate have each passed bills that, while differing in some details, would increase the minimum wage by $1 an hour to $6.15. But the measures include a variety of tax breaks sought by GOP conservatives--and opposed by Clinton--to ease the wage’s effect on small businesses.

In a sign Republicans are aware of their vulnerability on the issue, key lawmakers working at the direction of House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) sought last week to attach a minimum wage increase to an unrelated spending bill. But as Congress wrapped up work before its summer recess, negotiators abandoned the minimum wage provision and Congress adjourned without taking final action on the matter.

Republicans focused most of their efforts in recent weeks on passing several tax-relief bills, including one that would repeal the inheritance tax and another that would cut taxes for married couples. Clinton has pledged to veto both, charging that the measures are tilted toward the affluent.

Many Republican leaders oppose raising the minimum wage but, under pressure from moderates and lawmakers from districts with large labor union memberships, have agreed to allow the bills to be considered. Many large business groups are firmly against an increase.