Minimum Wage: Obama’s Sought After Increase Dies in Senate

Senate blocks federal minimum wage bill (Fox News)

WASHINGTON –  A bill to increase the federal minimum wage stalled Wednesday in the Senate, in the latest setback for Democrats pushing a set of election-year economic bills.   

Republicans argued that the change would be too expensive for employers and would backfire by costing jobs. Fueling their argument was a Wednesday morning Commerce Department report showing the economy grew at just a 0.1 percent rate in the first quarter. 

The bill failed on a 54-42 test vote. It needed 60 to advance.