The Senate failed to pass legislation raising the minimum wage on Wednesday due to a Republican filibuster.
To overcome the procedural move, the bill needed at least 60 votes in favor, but only managed 54, with 42 against, reports Reuters. Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker was the only Republican to cross the aisle for the vote.
The bill hasn't been completely defeated as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid opted to vote no, meaning he can bring it back up for a vote sometime in the future.
The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 and the legislation would have increased it to $10.10 over the next three years.
Democrats wasted no time in blasting the GOP over the move, according to The Wall Street Journal. Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) said, "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer--that's the system that we have right now unless we take action to make sure that those that earn the minimum wage are keeping pace with what it takes to buy the food, to pay the rent,"
President Barack Obama said that Republicans were "putting politics ahead of working Americans."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other GOP leaders say that Congress should be looking for a way to create jobs instead of increasing wages, claiming the current legislation would only lead to more jobs lost.
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