Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : GOP Agrees to a Vote on Minimum Wage

The House will vote within two weeks on an increase in the minimum wage, Republican leaders announced in a hard-won concession to Democrats and GOP moderates. In a written statement, Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) said the vote would come as part of debate on GOP-drafted legislation to “create opportunity and increase the take-home pay of low-wage workers.” Many provisions under discussion would provide tax relief for small businesses and make changes in labor law. Supporters of an increase say that at $4.25 an hour, the minimum wage is approaching a 40-year low in purchasing power.