With liberals threatening to back U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., in the U.S. Senate primary next year, U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., has veered to the left in recent weeks.
Murphy came to Congress in 2012, beating then-U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., by running as a moderate. During his time in Washington, D.C., Murphy polished his credentials as a moderate by breaking with his party on several issues including voting to hold IRS official Lois Lerner in contempt, supporting the Keystone XL Pipeline and hitting President Barack Obama for using Medicare Advantage funds to pay for his federal health-care law.
Since entering the race to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in March, Murphy has drawn fire from the left. Susan Smith and the Democratic Progressive Caucus have fired away at Murphy in recent weeks and called repeatedly for Grayson to challenge him in the primary.
While not agreeing with Graysons trade treachery rhetoric, last month Murphy joined him and liberals in breaking with Obama over trade issues, opposing giving the White House "fast track" on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) to approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). During his campaign against West, Murphy ran TV ads accusing West of backing policy to outsource jobs while not bringing up trade policy.
Murphy doubled down on his efforts to woo liberals this week, joining U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., in bringing out the Raise the Wage Act which would increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25, raising it to $8 in 2016 and increasing it by a dollar each year until it reaches $12 an hour and containing a provision in 2021 to automatically raise it each year based on the median wage. Obama proposed raising the minimum wage to $10.10 last year. Murphy has been calling for a higher minimum wage and voted for Obama's $10.10 proposal.
A single parent working 40 to 60 hours per week who earns minimum wage shouldnt be forced to live in poverty, Murphy said on Tuesday. Raising the federal minimum wage would empower the middle class, giving 38 million Americans, including nearly 2.5 million Floridians, a much-needed pay raise. I join the large coalition of members of Congress and groups across the country in calling on Congress to act on this legislation.
Just like on trade, Murphy will have some catching up to do with Grayson if he wants to win liberals over. Grayson has been an active proponent of raising the minimum wage, sponsoring a bill to raise it to $10.50 back in 2013 and continuing to champion a higher minimum wage since then.
U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., launched his bid for the Republican nomination this week. Other possible Republican candidates include former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, R-Fla., U.S. Reps. Curt Clawson, David Jolly, Jeff Miller, and Dennis Ross, R-Fla., Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and former Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
