Mitt Romney Joins Republicans' Calling for Minimum Wage Hike
May 9, 2014 1:06pm
(ABC News)
Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney today joined the small but growing chorus of Republican voices calling for a reasonable increase in the minimum wage, saying he part(s) company with many of the conservatives in my party on the issue of the minimum wage. I think we ought to raise it.
Frankly, our party is all about more jobs and better pay and I think communicating that is important, he said today on MSNBCs Morning Joe.The key for our party is to be able to convince the people who are in the working population, particularly the Hispanic community, that our party will help them get better jobs and better wages.
Romney, who in 2012 was lambasted for his 47 percent comment, is not the first 2012 Republican hopeful to speak out against the GOPs resistance to raising the minimum wage. His former opponent, Rick Santorum, also criticized conservative lawmakers refusal to pass a hike.
This is one I dont get, Santorum said earlier this week. Lets not make this argument that, you know, were for the blue collar guy but were against any minimum wage increase, ever. It just makes no sense.
Santorum advocated that the minimum wage should cover at least 7 percent of workers 5 percent more than the 2 percent it covers currently.
We should try to keep it in the 7 percent range, whatever gets you to 7 percent, he said, noting that historically, the minimum wage has covered 7 to 9 percent of the nations working population.
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty also called on his conservative colleagues to consider an increase, suggesting their ardent opposition damages the party brand.
The Republicans should support reasonable increase in the minimum wage, he said on Morning Joe. If youre going to talk the talk about being for the middle class and the working person, if we have a minimum wage, it should be reasonably adjusted from time to time.
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Mitt Romney Joins Republicans' Calling for Minimum Wage Hike