The House voted to boost the federal minimum wage for the first time since early 1981, casting a solid 382-37 vote for a compromise measure backed by President Bush. The vote came after a debate replete with complaints from both proponents and critics of a substantial increase in the wage floor. Advocates said the 90-cent-an-hour rise, to $4.25 an hour by April 1991, is too small for the working poor, while opponents argued that the increase will still hurt small business and cost many thousands of jobs. But the legislation reflected a compromise agreed to on Tuesday by President Bush and Democratic leaders in Congress, after congressional Republicans urged the White House to bend a bit from its previous resistance to compromise. So both sides accepted the compromise, which would lead to the first lifting of the minimum wage since a four-year law was enacted in 1977, raising the wage to $3.35 an hour from $2.65. Under the measure passed yesterday, the minimum wage would rise to $3.80 next April. The Senate plans to take up the measure quickly and is expected to pass it. `` There are no smiles about this bill, '' Rep. Pat Williams D., Mont. said during House floor debate yesterday. But `` because it's all we've got, I 'm going to vote for it. '' While the minimum wage had traditionally been pegged at half the average U.S. manufacturing wage, the level of $4.25 an hour in 1991 will still be less than 35 % of average factory pay, Mr. Williams said. But Rep. Marge Roukema R., N.J. instead praised the House's acceptance of a new youth `` training '' wage, a subminimum that GOP administrations have sought for many years. Adopting a training-wage policy means `` getting beyond the nickel and diming of the minimum wage, '' Mrs. Roukema said. Policy makers regard the youth wage as helping to limit the loss of jobs from an increase in the minimum wage, but they have lately touted it as necessary to help impart job skills to entrants into the work force. Labor unions and Democrats long fought the idea, but recently acceded to it in the face of Bush administration insistence. The compromise sets the training wage at $3.35 an hour next April, and at $3.61 an hour, or 85 % of the minimum wage, in April 1991. Employers can pay the subminimum for 90 days, without restriction, to workers with less than six months of job experience, and for another 90 days if the company uses a government-certified training program for the young workers. The training wage covers only workers who are 16 to 19 years old. The White House previously insisted on an unrestricted six-month training wage that could be paid any time a worker of any age took a new job. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, still opposed to any mininum-wage increase, said the compromise plan to lift the wage floor 27 % in two stages between April 1990 and April 1991 `` will be impossible for many employers to accommodate and will result in the elimination of jobs for American workers and higher prices for American consumers. TEXT The House voted to boost the federal minimum wage for the first time since early 1981 , casting a solid 382-37 vote for a compromise measure backed by President Bush . The vote came after a debate replete with complaints from both proponents and critics of a substantial increase in the wage floor . Advocates said the 90-cent-an-hour rise , to $ 4.25 an hour by April 1991 , is too small for the working poor , while opponents argued that the increase will still hurt small business and cost many thousands of jobs . But the legislation reflected a compromise agreed to on Tuesday by President Bush and Democratic leaders in Congress , after congressional Republicans urged the White House to bend a bit from its previous resistance to compromise . So both sides accepted the compromise , which would lead to the first lifting of the minimum wage since a four-year law was enacted in 1977 , raising the wage to $ 3.35 an hour from $ 2.65 . Under the measure passed yesterday , the minimum wage would rise to $ 3.80 next April . The Senate plans to take up the measure quickly and is expected to pass it . `` There are no smiles about this bill , '' Rep. Pat Williams D. , Mont . said during House floor debate yesterday . But `` because it 's all we 've got , I 'm going to vote for it . '' While the minimum wage had traditionally been pegged at half the average U.S. manufacturing wage , the level of $ 4.25 an hour in 1991 will still be less than 35 % of average factory pay , Mr. Williams said . But Rep. Marge Roukema R. , N.J . instead praised the House 's acceptance of a new youth `` training '' wage , a subminimum that GOP administrations have sought for many years . Adopting a training-wage policy means `` getting beyond the nickel and diming of the minimum wage , '' Mrs. Roukema said . Policy makers regard the youth wage as helping to limit the loss of jobs from an increase in the minimum wage , but they have lately touted it as necessary to help impart job skills to entrants into the work force . Labor unions and Democrats long fought the idea , but recently acceded to it in the face of Bush administration insistence . The compromise sets the training wage at $ 3.35 an hour next April , and at $ 3.61 an hour , or 85 % of the minimum wage , in April 1991 . Employers can pay the subminimum for 90 days , without restriction , to workers with less than six months of job experience , and for another 90 days if the company uses a government-certified training program for the young workers . The training wage covers only workers who are 16 to 19 years old . The White House previously insisted on an unrestricted six-month training wage that could be paid any time a worker of any age took a new job . The U.S. Chamber of Commerce , still opposed to any mininum-wage increase , said the compromise plan to lift the wage floor 27 % in two stages between April 1990 and April 1991 `` will be impossible for many employers to accommodate and will result in the elimination of jobs for American workers and higher prices for American consumers . 2~4 12~14~16~18 22~24~26~28~30~32 30~32 38~40~42~44 48~50~52~54~56~58~60 58~60 65~67 73~75 81 85~87~89~91~93~95~97~99~101~103~105~107 95~97~99~101~103~105~107 103~105~107 112 116~118~120 126~128~130~132 136~138 150~152~154 160 166~168 176~178 184~186~188~190 197~199 203~205~207~209~211~213~215~217~219~221~223~225~227~229 217~219 223~225~227~229 235~237 241~243~245 257 257~259~261~263~265 272~274 278~280 292~294~296~298~300~302~304~306~308~310~312~314~316~318~320 300~302~304 308~310~312 320 326~328 332~334~336~338 342~344 351~353~355~357 357 361~363~365 373~375 377~379 384~386 396~398 412 423~425~427~429~431 429~431 437~439~441~443~445~447~449 447 455 455~457~459 461 472 478 486 498 507~509~511 523~525~527~529~531~533 529 537~539~541~543~545~547~549~551~553 553 561~563~565~567~569~571~573~575 571~573~575 579~581 590~592~594~596~598~600~602 600~602 608~610~612~614~616~618~620~622~624~626~628~630~632~634~636~638~640~642~644~646~648~650~652 610 618~620~622~624~626~628~630~632~634~636~638~640~642~644~646~648~650~652 640~642 650~652 659~661~663 671~673~675~677~679~681~683~685~687 683~685~687 693~695 702~704 708~710~712 722~724~726~728~730~732~734~736~738~740~742 738~740~742 748 756 768~770 774~776~778~780~782 778~780~782 787~789 793 799~801 813 817~819~821~823~825~827 823 823~825 832~834 838~840~842 846~848~850~852 854~856 864~866~868~870~872~874~876~878~880~882~884~886 882~884~886 892~894 899 905~907 911~913 919 925~927~929~931~933~935~937~939~941 949~951~953 957~959 963~965~967~969 973~975~977 982~984~986 992~994~996~998~1000~1002~1004~1006 1011~1013~1015 1023~1025~1027~1029~1031 1045~1047~1049~1051~1053 1057~1059~1061 1066~1068~1070~1072~1074 1068 1084~1086~1088 1094~1096~1098~1100~1102~1104~1106~1108~1110~1112~1114~1116~1118~1120~1122~1124~1126~1128~1130 1104~1106~1108 1122~1124 1128~1130 1142~1144 1158~1160~1162~1164~1166~1168~1170 1168~1170 1174~1176~1178~1180~1182 1180~1182 The House|2012,2063,2081 the federal minimum wage|2013,2024,2045,2048,2053,2070,2087,2092,2110,2131 the first time since early 1981|2014 early 1981|2015 a solid 382-37 vote|2016,2019 a compromise measure backed by President Bush|2017,2034,2051,2057,2058,2060,2066,2069,2105,2130 President Bush|2018,2036,2103 a debate|2020 complaints|2021 both proponents and critics of a substantial increase in the wage floor|2022 a substantial increase in the wage floor|2023,2026,2031 Advocates|2025 $4.25 an hour|2027 April 1991|2028,2111,2133 the working poor|2029 opponents|2030 small business|2032 many thousands of jobs|2033 a compromise agreed to on Tuesday by President Bush and Democratic leaders in Congress|2035,2043 Democratic leaders in Congress|2037 congressional Republicans|2038 the White House|2039,2040,2104,2123 its previous resistance to compromise|2041 both sides|2042 the first lifting of the minimum wage since a four-year law was enacted in 1977|2044 a four-year law|2046 1977|2047 $3.35 an hour|2049,2107 $2.65|2050 yesterday|2052,2065 $3.80|2054 next April|2055,2108,2132 The Senate|2056 no smiles about this bill|2059 Rep. Pat Williams D., Mont.|2061,2068,2077 Mont|2062 House floor debate|2064 we|2067 half the average U.S. manufacturing wage|2071 U.S.|2072,2128 the level of $4.25 an hour in 1991|2073 1991|2074 less than 35 % of average factory pay|2075 average factory pay|2076 Rep. Marge Roukema R., N.J.|2078,2088 N.J.|2079 the House's acceptance of a new youth `` training '' wage|2080 a new youth `` training '' wage|2082,2090,2094,2106,2113,2121 GOP administrations|2083 many years|2084 a training-wage policy|2085 beyond the nickel and diming of the minimum wage|2086 Policy makers|2089,2093 the loss of jobs from an increase in the minimum wage|2091 job skills|2095 entrants into the work force|2096,2116,2120 the work force|2097,2136 Labor unions|2098 Democrats|2099 the idea|2100,2101 the face of Bush administration insistence|2102 $3.61 an hour|2109 Employers|2112,2118 90 days|2114 restriction|2115 another 90 days|2117 a government-certified training program|2119 workers who are 16 to 19 years old|2122 an unrestricted six-month training wage|2124 a worker of any age|2125 a new job|2126 The U.S. Chamber of Commerce|2127 any mininum-wage increase|2129 many employers|2134 the elimination of jobs for American workers|2135 higher prices for American consumers|2137 American consumers|2138 2012|MOD:DIST:2|NUC:DIST:4 2013|MOD:DIST:12|MOD:DESC:14|MOD:DIST:16|NUC:DIST:18 2014|MOD:DIST:22|MOD:DIST:24|NUC:DIST:26|MOD:DIST:28~30~32 2015|MOD:DIST:30|NUC:DIST:32 2016|MOD:DIST:38|MOD:DESC:40|MOD:DIST:42|NUC:DIST:44 2017|MOD:DIST:48|MOD:DESC:50|NUC:DIST:52|MOD:DESC:54~56~58~60 2018|MOD:DIST:58|NUC:DIST:60 2019|MOD:DIST:65|NUC:DIST:67 2020|MOD:DIST:73|NUC:DIST:75 2021|NUC:DIST:81 2022|MOD:DESC:85|NUC:DIST:87~89~91|MOD:DIST:93~95~97~99~101~103~105~107 2023|MOD:DIST:95|MOD:DESC:97|NUC:DIST:99|MOD:DIST:101~103~105~107 2024|MOD:DIST:103|MOD:DIST:105|NUC:DESC:107 2025|NUC:DIST:112 2026|MOD:DIST:116|MOD:DIST:118|NUC:DIST:120 2027|NUC:DIST:126~128|MOD:DESC:130~132 2028|NUC:DIST:136|MOD:DIST:138 2029|MOD:DIST:150|MOD:DESC:152|NUC:DIST:154 2030|NUC:DIST:160 2031|MOD:DIST:166|NUC:DIST:168 2032|MOD:DIST:176|NUC:DIST:178 2033|MOD:DIST:184~186~188|NUC:DIST:190 2034|MOD:DIST:197|NUC:DIST:199 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2131|MOD:DIST:1104|MOD:DIST:1106|NUC:DESC:1108 2132|NUC:DIST:1122|MOD:DIST:1124 2133|NUC:DIST:1128|MOD:DIST:1130 2134|MOD:DIST:1142|NUC:DIST:1144 2135|MOD:DIST:1158|NUC:DIST:1160|MOD:DIST:1162~1164~1166~1168~1170 2136|MOD:DESC:1168|NUC:DIST:1170 2137|MOD:DIST:1174|NUC:DIST:1176|MOD:DIST:1178~1180~1182 2138|MOD:DESC:1180|NUC:DIST:1182