Heres Where the Democratic Candidates Want to Set the Minimum Wage
The Democratic presidential candidates made their case for a new federal minimum wage at a debate in Iowa Saturday night, but they differed on the exact amount. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley both supported a 15 minimum wage. "I believe that over the next few years, not tomorrow, over the next few years, we've got to move the minimum wage to a living wage, 15 bucks an hour. And I apologize to nobody for that," Sanders said. O'Malley then touted his record as Maryland governor, when he raised the state's minimum wage to 10.10 per hour. "This was not merely theory in Maryland, we actually did it," he said. "10.10 was all I could get the state to do by the time I left, but two of our counties actually went to 12.80," he said. O'Malley now advocates a 15 minimum wage. Clinton was more restrained, pushing for a 12 minimum wage. "If we went to 15, there are no international comparisons, that is why I support a 12 national federal minimum wage," she said. "That is what the Democrats in the Senate have put forward as a proposal, but I do believe that is a minimum, and places like Seattle, like Los Angeles, like New York City, they can go higher.", Read Next Here's Every City in America Getting a 15 Minimum Wage