On Capitol Hill, the Senate has rejected two different measures Monday that would have raised the minimum wage for the first time since 1996. The Republicans had put forward a bill to raise the hourly minimum wage from $5.15 (five dollars and fifteen center) to $6.25 (six dollars and twenty-five cents) over the next 18 months. The Democrats wanted to raise it to $7.25 (seven dollars and twenty-five cents) over the next 26 months. Meanwhile the Senate is preparing to vote on new legislation that would overhaul the nation’s bankruptcy laws. The changes have been sought for over a decade by the banking and credit card industries.