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Hillary Clinton Supports $12 Per Hour Minimum Wage


A week or so ago, Hillary Clinton announced her support for a $12 per hour minimum wage rate.  Some of you may have heard she is running for President...some of you may also know that as a Democrat, she has a base that she needs to cater towards if she wants to win the Democratic nomination.  

In her announcement, Clinton indicated that she believes a $12 per hour minimum wage for federal workers is justified based upon the cost of living across the country.  However, Clinton's support of a $12 per hour wage rate is less than the $15 per hour wage rate advocated for by Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley.  Note, Sanders and O'Malley are Clinton's two main opponents for the Democratic nomination.  In a nod to her adopted home state of Arkansas, Clinton noted that $15 per hour in rural areas or smaller cities such as Little Rock might be too much.  Given the lower cost of living in these areas, Clinton suggested that $12 per hour is a more suitable wage rate.

Back in August, Clinton lent her support to a bill introduced by Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Bobby Scott that would set the minimum wage rate at $12 per hour.  

Time will tell whether Clinton's support of a $12 per hour minimum wage rate (or even the support others have given to a $15 per hour minimum wage rate) will have any impact and actually prove to be effective in bringing about a change.  For the time being, however, these candidates have a base they need to play to...the Democratic nomination hangs in the balance.

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