Democratic and GOP Governors Face Off in Washington Over Minimum Wage Hike

Photo Credit: REUTERSPresident Obama and fellow Democrats are trying to use the annual Washington meeting of governors to rally support for increasing the federal minimum wage, as their Republican counterparts argue the idea is a jobs killer.

“I’m not for increasing the minimum wage because I’m concerned it would destroy jobs, especially for small business owners,” said Oklahoma GOP Gov. Mary Fallin, chairman of the National Governors Association. “The market will take care of itself.”

The annual winter meeting officially began Saturday morning, but both sides were jockeying for position earlier, as the Democrat-controlled Senate prepares to debate the Obama-backed plan to incrementally increase the federal wage from to $7.25 to $10.10 an hour by 2016.

On Friday, Obama met with Democratic governors at the White House to build momentum for his effort.

“This is not just good policy. It also happens to be good politics,” he said. “Because the truth of the matter is the overwhelming majority of Americans think that raising the minimum wage is a good idea.”

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