My Monday post in America magazine looks at the overwhelming support for a hike in the federal minimum wage, something that is not likely to happen in today's political climate:
Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa and Rep. George Miller of California, both Democrats, have introduced a proposal to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10—higher than any current state minimum wage—and then index it to inflation. (It would be $25 if it had kept pace with inflation since 1968.) Poll numbers notwithstanding, this has little chance of passing the GOP-controlled House of Representatives or overcoming a Republican filibuster in the Senate. It is an article of faith for conservative pundits that an increase in the minimum wage will cause employers to simply eliminate jobs. George Will differs a bit in arguing that it’s silly to raise the federal minimum wage when only 3 percent of American workers earn it, but it’s still serves as a benchmark for the 19 states that distinguish themselves by mandating a slightly higher wage, as well as for many employers that attract workers by promising a bit more than the stigmatizing $7.25 an hour.
Read the entire post here.
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