Milwaukee’s Republican Debate Highlights Partisan Divide On Raising Minimum Wage

Republican presidential candidates debating on Tuesday night in Milwaukee shot down the idea of raising the federal minimum wage.

Labor activists in Milwaukee and elsewhere are promoting raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. But billionaire business executive Donald Trump said it would make the U.S. less competitive.

Dr. Ben Carson, a fellow presidental contender, said jobs might be cut back. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said he can’t support raising the minimum wage.

“If I thought raising the minimum wage would be the best way to help people raise their pay, I would be all for it, but it isn’t,” Rubio said. “In the 21st century, it’s a disaster.”

But Democratic presidential candidates believe the minimum wage is a winning issue for them next year. A spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee said both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders support a wage hike.