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Democratic Leaders Can't Explain Why They Think $15 Is the Perfect Minimum Wage

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer could not explain why a $15 minimum wage for all was best for workers after a conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday.

At a “Raise The Wage” event in the U.S. Capitol, Pelosi and Hoyer were joined by demonstrators from across the country who argue a $15 minimum wage would help them and their families get out of poverty.

Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray and a few other members of Congress were present at the event.

The legislation itself would raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2024. However, when asked about that specific number, neither Pelosi nor Hoyer could explain it.

The Daily Caller News Foundation asked Pelosi after the conference why she would not raise the minimum wage to $20 and why $15 would be such an effective number that would “benefit” the economy.

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Pelosi refused to answer and walked out of the room.

Hoyer only slightly more forthcoming.

He responded to the question from TheDCNF by saying “I’m interested in the deal there and the getting there and I think this is a bill that we can pass and get the votes. And that’s important.”

When asked why not $20 or another amount, Hoyer walked away without responding.

Check out the lawmakers’ arrival at the rally here:

Sanders is also a firm supporter of the $15 an hour minimum wage.

“The federal minimum wage of $7.25 is a starvation wage. That is why I, along with many other members of Congress, will introduce legislation this week to raise that wage to $15 an hour. If you work 40 hours a week, you should not live in poverty,” Sanders wrote in a Monday tweet.

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The Washington, D.C. city council voted to repeal an initiative that would have raised the minimum wage for all tipped employees in an 8-5 vote on Oct. 2 after continued pushback from workers across the nation’s capital.

A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

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