WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic push to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour has emerged as an early flashpoint in the fight for a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package.
The push to raise the wage is testing President Joe Biden’s ability to bridge Washington’s partisan divides. Some Republicans support exploring an increase in the minimum wage, but they are uneasy about $15 an hour and say such a big increase could lead to job losses.
But Democrats appear poised to push ahead. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 and has not been raised since 2009.
