Club for Growth Spokesman Barney Keller “For Republican support of an awful, anti-growth piece of legislation, Democrats in Congress can always count on Idaho’s Mike Simpson.” 

Washington, DC – In response to news that Liberal Senate Democrats are pushing to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, the Club for Growth PAC today noted that Mike Simpson strongly supported and voted for raising the minimum wage back in 2007, and suggested that Senate Democrats contact Simpson’s office in order to garner support for a vote on raising the minimum wage in the House: 

“If Senate Democrats are looking for someone to help them get a vote in the House on raising the minimum wage, they should go ask Mike Simpson.” said Club for Growth Spokesman Barney Keller. “Mike Simpson has voted for raising the minimum wage before, and he even tried to convince his friend Speaker Boehner to hold a vote on it the last time the Republicans held the majority. For Republican support of an awful, anti-growth piece of legislation, Democrats in Congress can always count on Idaho’s Mike Simpson.” 

Mike Simpson and The Minimum Wage 

Simpson pressed Boehner to allow a vote on raising the minimum wage in 2006: House Majority Leader John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, apparently has reversed himself on allowing a vote on the minimum wage and will bring the measure to the floor before the end of the legislative year, Rep. Ray LaHood said. LaHood, R-Ill., a proponent of a minimum wage increase, said he and several other members approached Boehner June 20 after the leader told reporters he would probably not allow a vote on a minimum wage bill this year…Other members who approached Boehner about changing his mind were Reps. David L. Hobson, R-Ohio, and Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, both longtime allies of the majority leader. (Congressional Quarterly Today, 6/21/06) 

Simpson voted in committee with the Democrats to add a minimum wage increase to a 2007 spending bill: Democrats won a significant, if temporary, victory Tuesday when the House Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment to a fiscal 2007 spending bill that would gradually increase the minimum wage to $7.25. The amendment, offered by Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., would raise the minimum wage $2.10 by Jan. 1, 2009. It was added to the draft spending bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education by a vote of 32-27. The underlying appropriations bill was approved by voice vote. The Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved the measure June 7…. Seven Republicans voted for the amendment: Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri, Ray LaHood of Illinois, Don Sherwood of Pennsylvania, Mike Simpson of Idaho, John E. Sweeney and James T. Walsh of New York, and C.W. Bill Young of Florida. (Congressional Quarterly Today, 6/13/06) 

Simpson voted to increase the minimum wage in 2007. (RCV #18, 2007)