Patrick Murphy Doubles Down on Raising the Minimum Wage

U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., running for the Democratic nomination to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in 2016, on Wednesday doubled down on his support for raising the minimum wage. 

“What helps workers, businesses, and the economy as a whole?” Murphy asked on Wednesday. “Raising the minimum wage. That's why I'm sponsoring the Raise the Wage Act in the House. The Raise the Wage Act would raise the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020, and it would benefit more than 2.2 million Floridians.

“This is the right approach to growing our economy,” Murphy insisted. “Here's why I support this measure: It's proven. Increasing the household income for working families means they have more money to spend at local businesses -- and more money to support their families. Americans support raising the minimum wage.”

U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., has also left the door open to running for the Senate. A St. Leo University poll released on Wednesday shows Murphy slightly ahead of Grayson but a plurality of Democrats remain undecided.