Voters Approve Minimum Wage Increases, But Congress Won't Take it Up

Published November 6, 2013 at 12:35 PM CST

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Supporters of Proposition 1 which raises the minimum wage to $15 in SeaTac, Washington, celebrate their victory. (Craig Newcomb/Twitter)

Last night, New Jersey voters approved a constitutional amendment to raise the minimum wage by a dollar to $8.25 an hour.

And in SeaTac, Washington, a proposition that would make the minimum wage in some in airport-related industries $15 an hour was leading with over 50 percent of the vote.

But if raising the minimum wage is so popular with voters, why won’t Congress take up the issue?

NPR’s Marilyn Geewax joins Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson to explain.

Guest

Marilyn Geewax, senior business editor for NPR. She tweets @geewaxnpr.