An election-year showdown over a Democratic priority -- raising the federal minimum wage to $ 10.10 an hour -- saw Senate Republicans block the measure on Wednesday , unleashing a torrent of criticism from President Barack Obama and his party . The measure failed to get the 60 votes needed to open debate in the 100-seat Senate , with only one Republican joining majority Democrats in an unsuccessful effort to overcome the GOP filibuster . While another vote on the proposal is possible , Obama and Democrats quickly sought to exploit the measure 's initial stumble into political capital for November 's congressional elections . `` If your member of Congress does n't support raising the minimum wage , you have to let them know they are out of step and if they keep putting politics ahead of working Americans , you will put them out of office , '' the President told a White House event that focused on the matter . Minimum wage state by state . Republicans argue raising the minimum wage to $ 10.10 per hour would damage the nation 's fragile economic recovery . Several GOP lawmakers took note of fresh data released Wednesday indicating the economy grew at a sluggish 0.1 % in the first quarter of 2014 . `` They seem to think they can coast on talking points and stale ideas â€ ” and that the American people have n't been paying attention to their recent dismal record at actually helping the people they claim to care about , '' said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky . However , Senate Democrats argued the GOP position hurt American workers struggling to make ends meet . `` Their vote today defines their priorities , '' Sen. Patty Murray of Washington said of Republicans . `` It is the equivalent of looking American women in the eye and telling them they do n't deserve a living wage . It is telling our middle-class families they do n't deserve a fair shot . '' Minimum wage : Congress stalls , states act . Even if the Senate moved ahead with the legislation , there was little chance the House , which is led by Republicans , would take it up . Obama and Democrats noted that polls show a strong majority of Americans support raising the minimum wage , which currently stands at $ 7.25 . At the same time , polls indicate Democrats have little chance of winning back control of the House in November and could lose their majority in the Senate . After Wednesday 's vote , Democratic senators sought to use the defeat as a rallying cry for November . `` Low-income people tend not to vote , but on this , this would be one that they come out on because it 's a pocketbook issue for them , '' said liberal Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa . Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York noted that traditionally conservative states like Arkansas and Alaska have put a minimum-wage increase on their ballots `` to help bring out the vote . '' 2014 : What 's at stake . Republican senators this week telegraphed their opposition to the minimum wage proposal , with some saying the Democratic plan was too expensive and would lead to significant job losses if businesses were forced to adopt it . `` It 's too high , too fast , '' said Sen . Rob Portman of Ohio , who favors a smaller increase like the one adopted in his state . Sen. Susan Collins , a Maine Republican , also said she supports a reasonable increase and complained that Democrats sought to force the higher figure through without compromise or debate . `` I think it speaks to what 's wrong with Washington today -- that we 're placed in a situation where it was 'take it or leave it ' rather than trying to come together and offer amendments and offer a level that might be acceptable , '' Collins said after the vote . Harkin , however , said the $ 10.10 figure sought by Democrats was needed to lift people out of poverty . `` We will not compromise on $ 10.10 . That just gets us above the poverty level , '' he said . `` Anyone who wants to go below that is saying that a hard-working American who works full-time all year long still will live in poverty . It 's time to get beyond that . '' 2014 : The battle for the Senate . In February , Obama signed an executive order raising the minimum wage to $ 10.10 per hour for federal contractors beginning in 2015 . The measure voted on Wednesday sought to make that figure the federal minimum wage . The lone Republican to vote with Democrats was Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee , who said he wants changes in the measure even though he supported bringing it up for debate . Meanwhile , Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor , who is facing a challenging re-election in conservative Arkansas , supports a smaller increase that is under consideration in his state . Pryor missed Wednesday 's vote because he was back in Arkansas dealing with this week 's storm damage . Key races to watch . Republicans argued the liberal agenda pushed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada could hurt centrist Democrats this fall . `` For the Democrats here in the Senate , particularly the vulnerable ones who are in tough competitive races , they 've got to be particularly sensitive to the agenda the Democrats are driving , '' Sen. John Thune of South Dakota , a GOP leader , said this week . `` I think there are a lot of Democrats , on minimum wage even , that are concerned about its impact on the economy . '' Recent national polls indicated that a strong majority of Americans support raising the minimum wage to $ 10.10 per hour . The most recent survey , conducted early last month by Bloomberg , put that support at 69 % . An ABC News/Washington Post poll released Tuesday indicated that by a 49 % -33 % margin , Americans say that the Democratic Party is closer to their views on the issue than the GOP . And by a two-to-one margin , voters nationwide questioned earlier this month in a Quinnipiac University poll said they would be more likely than less likely to vote for a candidate who supports raising the minimum wage . Meanwhile , national polls suggested Republicans have an enthusiasm edge over Democrats six months before the November vote . According to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Wednesday , 45 % of registered voters say they want the November elections to result in a Republican-controlled Congress , with an equal amount saying they 'd like to see Democrats in control on Capitol Hill . But among voters with the highest interest in the midterms , the GOP holds a 15-percentage point lead ( 53 % -38 % ) over the Democrats on the question of which party should control Congress . A CBS News poll conducted late last month showed that 75 % of registered Republican voters questioned said they were very or somewhat excited about voting in November , compared to 58 % of Democrats . Also , 81 % of registered Republicans said they 'll definitely vote in November , compared to 68 % of registered Democrats . The surveys seem to back up the conventional wisdom that the GOP has an advantage over the Democrats in midterm contests . White voters and older voters , key to the Republican base , tend to cast ballots in bigger percentages in midterms than younger voters and minorities , who are an important part of the Democrats ' base . Democrats hold a 55-45 majority in the Senate , including two independents who caucus with the party , but are defending 21 of the 36 seats contested in November . Half of those Democratic-held seats are in traditionally conservative states or those considered purple -- leaning neither right or left . In the House , Democrats need to pick up 17 GOP-held seats to win back control of the Republican-led chamber , a feat political handicappers say is unlikely considering the shrinking number of competitive congressional districts . Leading Dem gov : 2014 is not a 'change ' election . New low for Obama in key midterm indicator . Biden goes on offense over GOP economic agenda . Special Coverage : The 2014 midterms .
President Obama blasts Republicans over minimum wage vote . The issue is a priority for Democrats trying to keep control of the Senate in November . Republicans cite various reasons for opposing the $ 10.10 per-hour proposal . Polls show Americans favor an increase .