U.S. President Barack Obama has called on Congress to pass a bill raising the the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour.
The president said in his weekly address “nearly three in four Americans support raising the minimum wage,” a move that would affect almost 28 million people across the country. Obama said the average minimum wage worker is 35 years old and works hard,” often in physically demanding jobs.
The U.S. leader said Republicans in Congress are blocking the wage increase and some want “to get rid of it entirely.”
President Obama said Republicans have voted more than 50 times to undermine or repeal the Affordable Care Act that provides health care to millions of people. He said Congress should vote at least once to raise the minimum wage for millions of working families.
In the Republican address Saturday, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said the federal government needs to get out of the way as small businesses try to plan for the future.
Boehner said House Republicans are pursuing economic initiatives that put jobs first.