CT politicians react to State of the Union

Following President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday, Connecticut Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy reiterated their support for an increase in the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.

Murphy issued a written statement late Tuesday, after the speech.

“Over the past decade, families in Connecticut and around the country have seen the cost of things they need””whether it”™s groceries, gas, or a college education””increase faster than their wages,” he said. “Rising prices across the board mean that more Americans are working harder and still struggling to make ends meet. Simply put, family income just isn”™t keeping pace with the cost of living in this country.”

Obama said he would pass an executive action that would increase the minimum wage for federally-contracted workers to $10.10. But expanding the minimum wage to employees outside of federal contracts would need the approval of Congress. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.

Connecticut’s state minimum wage is now $8.70 an hour, having ticked up Jan. 1 from $8.25 an hour. Obama also proposed several measures beyond the minimum wage he said were aimed at reducing income inequality, including lowering the cost of a college education and reinvesting in manufacturing.

Blumenthal said the speech as a “home run on economic opportunity,” especially for veterans. Obama’s address included a message of support for veteran benefits and job training programs.

“All Americans deserve full and affordable access to education and skill training to get good jobs,” Blumenthal said. “Many manufacturers in Connecticut have told me they have jobs available but no one skilled enough to fill them.”

While Rep. Jim Himes’ statements after the speech didn’t include his thoughts on the minimum wage, the Greenwich Democrat echoed support for education initiatives to improve future generations’ chances of economic success.

“No matter where you are born in this country, you should have access to the best education in the world,” Himes said. “If you work hard and play by the rules, you should have the chance to succeed. But as (Obama) said, we need to start earlier.”

Himes plans to introduce legislation later this week to help meet the president”™s goal of improving early childhood education.