US lobbyists ignoring wage proposal

US lobbyists are largely ignoring a proposal pushed by President Barack Obama that would increase the US minimum wage, according to news reports.

The AFL-CIO, the largest US union group, won’t push for building support in Congress until a vote on an increase is scheduled in the Senate, Bloomberg reported, citing chief lobbyist Bill Samuel.

The group and business organizations that oppose raising hourly pay are giving more attention to wage proposals in the states, Bloomberg said.

The National Retail Federation’s lobbying in Congress “has been at most a modest stab,” said David French, chief lobbyist for the Washington-based industry group that opposes the legislation. “When it is really around the corner, you’ll see the lobbying pick up, but it’s not going to require an all-out blitz.”

The proposal would raise the federal minimum wage, which has not been increased since 2009, to $10.10 an hour from $7.25.

A proposed increase in the state pay floor has cleared either the Senate or House in at least eight US states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Citing a an aide, Bloomberg said, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid postponed a vote in his chamber earlier this month to give labor unions more time to organize support.

Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have set their minimum wages above $7.25 an hour. The highest state level is currently $9.32 in Washington state.

According a new Bloomberg National Poll, 69 percent of Americans, including 45 percent of Republicans, support the increase over the next three years. Twenty-eight percent of poll respondents oppose such action.