Who regulates the federal minimum wage?
I am trying to find out what governing body, department, court, etc., regulates the Federal minimum wage. For instance, is it Congress, the Supreme Court, Senate? I know the Department of Labor records these statistics and generally fosters a better work environment.
So, what's the Federal Minimum Wage Legislation?
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11-05-2009 at 04:58 PM
The federal minimum wage is established by your elected legislators mainly in the house of Representatives since they represent the majority, but also is approved through the Senate much like most laws that effect the nation as a whole
The minimum wage is the lowest amount that employers may pay employees for an hour of labor. In the U.S., both the federal government and individual states are entitled to set a minimum wage. When the two differ, the higher wage applies. As of January 2007, twenty-states had a higher minimum wage than the federal wage, while only one (Kansas) had a lower wage. Five states had no minimum wage, while fifteen had one identical to the federal wage.
When the Democratic Party took control of both houses of Congress following the 2006 congressional elections, it promised to increase the federal wage to $7.25/hr. in its "first 100 hours" on the floor. On January 10, 2007, the House did so through the passage of H.R. 2 by a vote of 315-116. On January 30, 2007, the Senate ended debate on a bill (clearing it for a vote on the floor) which would raise the wage to $7.25, and also provide roughly $8.3 billion worth of tax breaks for small businesses. In May 2007, the wage hike, along with some of the tax breaks, was included in a supplemental spending bill regarding the Iraq War. On May 25, 2007, President George W. Bush signed the bill into law. The first wage increase occurred on June 24, 2007, bringing the minimum wage to $5.85.
