After two years under the Biden administration and President Biden touting his own economic accomplishments, most Americans are still living paycheck-to-paycheck.
In a tweet on Monday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested Republicans were to blame for Congress failing to raise the minimum wage last year — despite Democrats having a majority in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
“60% of workers report living paycheck-to-paycheck,” the Republican Party tweeted.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, during a House Financial Services Committee hearing investigating the collapse of FTX in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
AOC responded: “And yet y’all still voted against raising the minimum wage.”
While her tweet was likely intended to be a swipe at Republicans, Twitter Fact-Check jumped into the conversation to add context to her claim showing both parties are to blame.
“The minimum wage has not changed since 2009,” the fact-check wrote, showing both parties have had adequate time to argue for and pass such a measure.
Neither has.
As recently as 2021, Congress took up consideration on a bill that would raise the minimum wage again.
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Democrats introduced the bill, but unlike AOC’s tweet suggests, the bill had bipartisan support. It also had opposition from Republicans and Democrats.
“In 2021, Congress voted on a bill to raise the minimum wage. [It] passed 231-199 in the House,” the fact-check notice read. The bill was opposed by 192 Republicans, 8 Democrats and one Independent. “Three Rs supported,” it added.
On election morning Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigns for re-election, November 8, 2022 in the Woodside neighborhood of Queens, New York. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
The bill failed to clear the Senate, however, as seven Democrats opposed it.
“Blocked 58-42 in the Senate. 7 Ds and one [Independent] joined all Rs to block the bill,” the fact check noted.
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According to the Department of Labor, the federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour, after it was increased on July 24, 2009.
Previously, the minimum wage was increased to $5.85 per hour on July 24, 2007, then again to $6.55 per hour, which went into effect on July 24, 2008.
A blue verification check on the page of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
While the federal minimum wage is the least an employer can pay an employee, over half of the states have set the bar higher than the federal standard.
In Ohio, the minimum wage is $9.30 per hour.
In Florida, it is $10 per hour.
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In Virginia, the minimum wage is $11 per hour.
In Hawaii, it is $12 per hour; in Oregon, it is $13.50; in California, it is $14 per hour.
