Today at noon ET, the Senate is scheduled to vote on a bill to raise the hourly minimum wage to $10.10, and then index it to inflation.
Actually, that's not quite right. The vote would allow the Senate to begin debate on the minimum wage bill.
And if media reports are correct, Republicans won't even allow the Senate to debate the bill, let alone vote on it. Not one Republican has said he or she would allow the bill to be considered, and at least five are needed to reach the supermajority needed to have a debate and an up-or-down vote.
But remember that earlier this month, six Senate Republicans did feel enough grassroots pressure to break ranks and pass a bill extending unemployment insurance, after multiple filibusters.
So today is no time to be silent. Even if our phone calls don't produce a breakthrough today, we know it is possible to wear enough Republicans down. And raising the minimum wage is more popular and more potent an issue, potentially affecting five times as many people as the jobless aid extension.
The Campaign for America's Future has set up a special phone number to connect you to your senators: 202-517-2321.
The vote is scheduled for noon ET, so we need to call this morning for our voices to be heard.
Raising the minimum wage to $10.10 would raise the pay of 16.5 million Americans. And we know claims that helping those 16.5 million would also cost jobs are bogus, because the state with the highest minimum wage has been creating jobs at a pace above the national average.
Those 16.5 million are counting on you to speak up. You literally don't have a minute to spare.
