Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released the following statement on Wednesday regarding the bipartisan agreement in the Finance Committee to couple a minimum wage increase with a small business relief package:



“The President and Republicans in Congress have been clear on the need to ensure that the proposed increase in the federal minimum wage will help both the workers who earn it and the small businesses that pay it. By providing targeted assistance to small businesses, we can encourage economic growth and help ensure that the increase in wages doesn’t cause a decrease in new jobs.



“The Committee has spoken about the need to provide even more small business tax relief and we now have the opportunity to debate this on the floor. Though the House refused to include support for employers, it just makes sense to pair the increased wage with tax and regulatory relief, so the small businesses that create most of the new jobs in this country can remain competitive and employ even more people.”



In December 2006, the President called for a minimum wage increase to include tax and regulatory relief for small businesses. Leader McConnell echoed the President’s statement during the opening session of the 110th Congress, advising that any increase in minimum wage passed by the Senate should include offsets for job creators.



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