President Obama has proposed to increase the Federal Minimum Wage to $10.10 as well as increase the Earned Income Tax Credit among other items associated with this. There are those who oppose the increase to Federal Minimum Wage as well as those who support this proposal. What we have to question when looking at this increase is whether or not it will actually help the economy or if it will simply raise costs of everything we buy on a daily basis. It is necessary that "businesses need to have money available to pay for labor, materials, power, and other inputs" (McConnell, Brue, Flynn, 315). It is debated if raising minimum wage will stifle these businesses, by increasing their pay rate for labor. There are many factors to consider when looking at this proposal that has a multitude of pros and cons. If this constant debate continues as it has in the previous instances then the typical result will be that most Republicans will oppose the proposal while the majority of Democrats will be in favor of passing the bill.
President Obama is quoted as saying in his State of the Union address that "in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full time should have to live in poverty" (Hassett, Strain, 2013). The case that is made against raising the minimum wage is very simple; by raising the minimum wage it makes it more expensive for businesses to hire employees. Those who retain their jobs will make more money; however, those who will lose their jobs and those who will be unsuccessful in acquiring new jobs will suffer from this increase. According to American Enterprise Institute, "research published in 2010 by economists Joseph Sabia and Richard Burkhauser concluded that if the Federal Minimum Wage were increased from $7.25 an hour to $9.50 an hour, only 11.3% of workers who would gain from the increase belong to poor households" (Hassett, Strain, 2013).