FOX NEWS — A bill to increase the federal minimum wage stalled Wednesday in the Senate, in the latest setback for Democrats pushing a set of election-year economic bills.

Republicans argued that the change would be too expensive for employers and would backfire by costing jobs. Fueling their argument was a Wednesday morning Commerce Department report showing the economy grew at just a 0.1 percent rate in the first quarter.

Recommended Stories

Too many kids are dying in gun accidents. The NRA has a program to save them

Study: Trigger warnings actually hurt trauma survivors

Poll: 80% of philosophy students embrace socialism

The bill failed on a 54-42 test vote. It needed 60 to advance.