Vice President Joe Biden (CNSNews.com/Penny Starr)
(CNSNews.com) - Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday compared a minimum wage hike – tied to inflation – with “getting a free year of groceries.”
“Think about all it means to a middle-class family. An increase would cover all that they are now spending on groceries - just this increase. If we increase the minimum wage to just what we’re talking about, all the money you spend in a year on groceries, will be equal to that increase. It’s like getting a free year of groceries,” Biden said.
“These proposed increases would raise wages for over 15 million people. Think of the impact that will have on the economy, on their economy, our economy, a little extra money in the hands of so many consumers,” he said in remarks at the White House marking the 75th anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which included a minimum wage.
President Barack Obama proposed increasing the minimum wage from the current $7.25 per hour to $9 per hour during his last State of the Union address.