Democrats are vowing to make the minimum wage a midterm issue and will start by making a push to raise it once Congress is back in session this month.
But Republicans don't support another increase, which was last raised four years ago to $7.25 an hour. (It was raised twice in the last two years of former President George W. Bush's presidency, the first increase in a decade.)
President Obama backs an increase to $10.10 an hour, which would still be below the adjusted-for-inflation high of $10.74 in 1968.
So why don't GOP elected officials support an increase in a wage that when factored out to full-time work equals just $15,000 a year? Aside from ideological/values opposition, the Republican base also does not support it.
The December NBC/WSJ poll found that while there is little support for raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and mixed support for raising it to $12.50, Americans are broadly in favor of an increase to $10.10. Overall, nearly two-thirds (63%/36%) would support such a hike, which would still only be an annual salary of roughly $21,000.
But a majority of Tea Party supporters and Republicans do not; 55% of Tea Party supporters are against it, while Republicans overall are more closely split with 50% against and 47% in favor.
