Federal Minimum Wage Increase?

A proposal from President Obama to increase the Federal Minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.00 / hour and index it to inflation has brought objections from many of the usual suspects, like Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), who claim the minimum wage will kill jobs and hurt small businesses. 

Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R) stated that she started as a teenage retail employee making a seemingly-measly $2.15 an hour in Mississippi (she didn't say what year that was, but based on her age it was likely between 1968 - 1970).  Think Progress did a little basic math and in this article they explain that her $2.15 / hour back then would be $12.72 - $14.18 in today's dollars.  Moreover, back then the minimum wage was $1.60 which is $10.56 in today's dollars.

The minimum wage in real dollars has actually decreased by 31% since 1969, resulting in a vast increase in the number of families in dire situations.