Biden Urges $12 Federal Minimum Wage as Locals Move Toward $15

Hourly pay has become a central issue in the political fight between Democrats and Republicans over income inequality.

US Vice President Joe Biden (L) and his wife Jill Biden (R) walk down the gangway after landing atthe 'Henry Coanda' international Airport in Bucharest on May 20, 2014
DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty Images

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By James Nash

July 23, 2015 at 1:22 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden pressed for a $12 federal minimum wage during a stop in Southern California, applauding steps taken there to boost the hourly pay for hundreds of thousands of workers.

Biden, speaking at a bathroom fixture manufacturer in the San Fernando Valley Wednesday, said a higher federal minimum wage would serve as a “gateway out of poverty.” Supervisors in Los Angeles County, the largest in the nation, Tuesday voted to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2020.