Fast-Food Strikes Spotlight Minimum Wage Issue
Fast-food strikes and protests planned in 150 cities today. Reuters: "'We're going to have walkouts all over the country,' said Kendall Fells, organizing director of the movement called Fight for 15. 'There are going to be workers who don't show up to work or who walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. or at noon.' ... The protests come as cities across the United States propose minimum wage increases while Democrats in Congress seek to raise the federal minimum wage ahead of November's mid-term congressional elections. A recent report by the Economic Policy Institute think tank found the typical worker in the restaurant industry makes $10 an hour compared to $18 an hour typically earned in other industries."
CEOs sad. The Hill: "Business groups and franchises are pushing back on the campaign, arguing an increase in the minimum wage would be bad for the economy and ultimately hurt workers. Steve Caldeira, CEO of the International Franchise Association, said in a Wednesday statement ... 'When you boil this all down, it’s really about the unions being hypocritical and greedy by exploiting proposals meant to support fast food workers to enrich themselves,' Caldeira said in a statement."
The strikes are working, argues W. Post's Harold Meyerson: "By highlighting the abysmal incomes of millions of hardworking Americans, it has prodded governments to phase in minimum-wage increases in a growing number of cities and states ... Other legislation targeted at low-wage workers is being enacted, as well: Last week, the California legislature, with the backing of Gov. Jerry Brown (D), passed a bill mandating paid sick days for the state’s workers ...
Senate Dems aim for minimum wage vote soon. AP: "The Senate may also revisit a pair of other Democratic measures this month that, like minimum wage, were blocked by Republicans earlier this year. One would let people refinance student loans at lower interest rates while the other would pressure employers to pay female workers the same as men ... with less than eight weeks until congressional elections in which Republicans hope to capture Senate control, Democrats and their supporters see the issues as a chance to appeal to working-class, female and younger voters ... The minimum wage bill would gradually raise today's $7.25 an hour minimum to $10.10 over a 30-month period."
House Moves Toward Ex-Im Bank Deal
House GOP leadership looks for short-term extension. Politico: "Speaker John Boehner of Ohio and House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling of Texas have a private agreement to act on a short-term reauthorization of the government-sponsored international finance bank ... The length of that potential extension is still unclear. Hensarling wants to see the bank’s charter extended until early in 2015 — perhaps just until February. But some in Republican leadership think Hensarling might need more time to build support for a plan to reform the bank or wind it down entirely ... A spokesman for the Texas Republican would not comment directly on any deal with leadership. 'Chairman Hensarling opposes reauthorization of Ex-Im ...' Hensarling spokesman David Popp said in a statement."
Ex-Im Bank chief warns short-term deal not helpful. Bloomberg: "While Export-Import Bank President Fred Hochberg is pushing for reauthorization, he said a short-term extension wouldn’t resolve uncertainty for foreign companies that rely on its help to buy U.S. goods. 'Business people don’t work six weeks at a time,' Hochberg said in an Aug. 21 interview. 'I understand Congress, but that’s not the real world of business. That’s not the world of profits and loss, sales and employment. That’s legislative language.'"
"Bank chief slaps down House GOP request" reports The Hill: "Export-Import President Fred Hochberg has rebuffed a request from the House Financial Services Committee for transcribed interviews with top bank officials ... [Rep. Jeb[ Hensarling, who opposes the bank's reauthorization, along with Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), who heads the House Financial Services subcommittee on investigations, want Hochberg to let committee investigators transcribe interviews with top Ex-Im Bank officials. When Hochberg declined the invitation last month, Hensarling and McHenry threatened to work with the House Oversight Committee to subpoena Ex-Im officials ... A senior aide to a Democratic member of the House Financial Services Committee criticized Hensarling, saying he's 'overreaching' and making requests that are 'virtually impossible to satisfy.'"
Breakfast Sides
Sen. Warren slams Eric Cantor. The Hill: "'How wrong can this be that basically what's happening here is that people work in Washington and man, they hit that revolving door with a speed that would blind you and head straight out into the industry,' said Warren in an interview Wednesday with Yahoo’s Katie Couric. 'Not because they bring great expertise and insight but because they're selling access back in to their former colleagues who are still writing policy, who are still making laws,' she continued."
"Lawyers agree: Obama has broad authority to act on deportations" reports W. Post's Greg Sargent: "... more than 100 immigration law professors have signed a letter to the President arguing that he has expansive legal authority to act to temporarily protect additional groups from removal — and that this authority is rooted in statute, court opinion, regulations, and precedent."
