A novel idea. Pay the sanctified congressman the
minimum wage for his service as a rubber stamp.
Since its the Executive branch that does all the
real work,why pay these yes men a penny over
the minimum wage?

And the laziest Americans of all were the GOP members of the 109th Congress who usually worked no more than three days a week, while earning over $130,000!

It has already been pointed out here that the exception to the minimum for American Samoa is in a pre-existing law. It was also pointed out on a previous thread that vineyards of the size of the one owned by the Pelosi’s are normally not unionized in California and that she and her husband pay their workers an amount above the union standard. Can you spell “getting your facts straight?”

*****Yet another Reason (!!) LAZY Americans aspire to be Euro-wimp/whiners…..

Europeans work 35 hour weeks, have pensions at 55, and healthcare.

Americans? We get a Fascist Tyranny for a Government, Brainwashing TV, and horrific jobs.

YAY! America!

I see the point now, but don’t you care that it’s misleading to say that pelosi and the Congress is creating a law that stiffs people when the law already in the books is what has been doing that? I agree that yes, there’s new language to change something to do with the Mariana Islands, but even that language that restricted it in the past is not a part of what is listed on the page you gave.

Also, and it’s likely because I can’t read legalese (it all seems to be written to cause confusion, IMO), but to me it sounds like American Samoa has the same minimum wage as everyone else:

“if such employee is employed in American Samoa, in lieu of the rate or rates provided by this subsection or subsection (b) of this section, not less than the applicable rate established by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with recommendations of a special industry committee or committees which he shall appoint pursuant to sections 205 and 208 of this title. The minimum wage rate thus established shall not exceed the rate prescribed in paragraph (1) of this subsection;”

Paragraph 1 reads:
except as otherwise provided in this section, not less than $4.25 an hour during the period ending on September 30, 1996, not less than $4.75 an hour during the year beginning on October 1, 1996, and not less than $5.15 an hour beginning September 1, 1997;

The bolded section seems to me to mean that the minimum wage applies to American Samoa as well, does it not? And since the new bill in congress changes Paragraph 1 to reflect the new minimum wages, doesn’t that mean they are getting the same bump?

http://uscode.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode29/usc_sec_29_00000206—-000-.html

The recently passed Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)). The Fair Labor Standards Act contains the section regarding the exclusion of American Samoa from the minimum wage requirements. The 2007 bill does not amend the Fair Labor Act so as to encompass American Samoa. Thus, the new minimum wage does not apply to American Samoa.

Note that the 2007 bill DOES amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to apply the minimum wage to the Northern Mariana Islands, which up until this law, was similarly excluded from the minimum wage requirements.

Can you post where you see that? I’m on Congress’s page (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.2.EH:) and it does not say anything about American Samoa.

i’m always willing to admit when/if I’m wrong, so I’ll gladly do it if you point to something official.

Thanks.

That’s because you pointed this out just 7 minutes after it was initally posted by TP! I must make you proud that you don’t do much else other than sit around and wait for new threads to start.

(3) if such employee is employed in American Samoa, in lieu of the rate or rates provided by this subsection or subsection (b) of this section, not less than the applicable rate established by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with recommendations of a special industry committee or committees which he shall appoint pursuant to sections 205 and 208 of this title. The minimum wage rate thus established shall not exceed the rate prescribed in paragraph (1) of this subsection;

29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1))