During his State of the Union address, President Clinton brought a new political football onto the legislative playing field -- a proposed minimum-wage hike. Clinton said he would fight to raise minimum wage from $4.25 to $5 an hour during a two-year time period.

Although Clinton will meet opposition from the Republican-controlled Congress, he must keep pushing his proposed minimum-wage hike through to its completion.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 3.2 percent of the work force -- about 4.2 million people -- earn minimum wage or less. Those people are not earning enough money to support themselves and their families. Because they are not making enough to live on, many are forced to work a second job just to make ends meet.

Currently, some people on welfare receive more money than those working minimum-wage jobs. By increasing minimum wage, there would be more of an incentive for people to become less dependent on welfare and more self-sufficient. But those people cannot become do so with only $4.25 an hour.

Minimum wage was last increased in 1991, and just like inflation and interest rates, it needs to be adjusted to fit the standard of living in this country.

The GOP is against Clinton's plan, opting instead for a decrease in or complete elimination of minimum wage. Republicans argue that a minimum-wage hike will decrease the number of available jobs along with the value of the dollar. But recent economic studies show that increases in minimum wage didn't cause significant job loss for the estimated 4.2 million minimum-wage workers.

This issue is a political football that politicians will just continue to toss around without either side scoring. Clinton needs to keep trudging through the Republican opposition if he wants a moral victory for his team, and more importantly, American workers.