Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) called for a $20 federal minimum wage less than a week after the House of Representatives voted to raise the wage to $15 over the next six years.
A video from America Rising shows Tlaib making the remarks at an event for One Fair Wage, an organization that lobbies to raise the federal minimum tipped wage. Tlaib said the $15 minimum wage demand needs to be updated to reflect the rising price of food.
"By the way, when we started it, it should have been $15. Now I think it should be $20," she said.
"It should be $20 an hour, $18 to $20 at this point," she repeated, continuing to claim that the price of food such as milk and eggs has increased.
The accuracy of Tlaib's claim about the price of eggs going up depends on the type of egg, but in general, egg prices have fallen since a peak in 2015. An avian flu outbreak impacted egg production that year, causing prices to spike.
The price of milk has also fluctuated over the past 10 years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price has decreased since a peak in 2014. It has increased over the course of 2019, however. The price of dairy products depends on the U.S. state in which the consumer is making the purchase.
Alfredo Ortiz, president of the Job Creators Network, told the Free Beacon, "America can’t afford a $15 minimum wage, never mind $20."
Ortiz also pointed to recent move by the Bernie Sanders campaign to cut hours for its staff as an example of the economic impact wage increases have.
"It’s a shame Rep. Tlaib didn’t hear that Bernie Sanders is cutting his staff’s hours to meet their demands for a $15 minimum wage," Ortiz said. "If she won’t listen to job creators about the unintended consequences of a higher minimum wage, maybe she’ll listen to a socialist politician."