CAMBRIDGE, Md. — House Democrats said Thursday they will try to highlight Republican resistance to a higher minimum wage with a tactical maneuver meant to bring new attention to an issue they consider a political winner.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said her party will push a “discharge petition” when Congress returns from its recess on Feb. 24. If Democrats can persuade roughly two dozen Republicans to sign the petition, it would force Republican leaders to allow a House vote on the wage issue.
Most Republican lawmakers oppose a higher minimum wage. They say it prompts employers to cut down on hiring, a claim Democrats dispute.
It’s by no means clear Democrats can collect enough signatures in the House, where they hold 200 seats to the Republicans’ 232. Three seats are vacant.
Democrats say most Americans favor a higher minimum wage. They say Republican leaders thwart the public’s will by refusing to allow House votes on these topics.
President Obama and many congressional Democrats want to raise the federal minimum wage from the current $7.25 an hour to $10.10. An AP-GfK Poll in January found 55 percent of U.S. adults favor an increase in the minimum wage.
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