California Democrat Rep. Barbara Lee is floating the idea of raising her state's minimum wage to $50 an hour— more than six times the current federal minimum wage in the United States.
Lee, who is running in the Senate race to fill the seat of late Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, defended her proposal that would mean wage workers would make nearly $104,000 annually. She argued how it would be economically "sustainable" for small business owners.
"In the Bay Area, I believe it was the United Way that came out with a report that very recently $127,000 for a family of four is just barely enough to get by," Lee said. "Another survey very recently, $104,000; for a family of one, barely enough to get by, low income because of the affordability crisis."
During the Monday night debate between three other California House Democrats eyeing to fill the seat, Lee demanded that they "do the math."
Her proposal of a $50 hourly earning rate for workers would significantly jump from the state's current minimum wage, between $16 and $20. The U.S. federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.
"We're talking about $20, $25 — fine. But I have got to be focused on what California needs and what the affordability factor is when we calculate this wage," she continued.
Lee's opponents, Reps. Adam Schiff (D) and Katie Porter (D) also supported a higher minimum wage in the state but at a much lower rate. Both suggested wages ranging from $20 to $25 per hour were acceptable.
Meanwhile, the only Republican opponent running for the state's Senate seat, former professional baseball player Steve Garvey, said that the minimum wage is "where it should be."
The federal minimum wage has not increased since 2009 despite rising living costs. Democrats have tried to raise the federal minimum wage for years. However, they have yet to be successful.
In 2021, Republicans blocked efforts after Democrats tried to include raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour as part of their COVID relief legislation.
Last year, California passed legislation requiring all restaurants with at least 60 locations nationwide to raise their minimum wage to $20 per hour. The law, however, includes an exception for restaurants that make and sell their own bread.