MILWAUKEE — Despite opposing a minimum wage hike during Tuesday evening’s Republican primary debate, Ben Carson told reporters immediately following the event that his plan could actually increase the minimum wage.
“I would not raise it,” Carson said during the Fox Business debate. “I would not raise it, specifically because I’m interested in making sure that people are able to enter the job market and take advantage of opportunities.”
But Carson has previously suggested he would index the minimum wage to inflation, meaning, as the value of the dollar decreases, minimum wage would go up.
Asked by The Daily Caller to clarify the discrepancy, Carson said his plan would make a debate about the minimum wage obsolete.
“You know, we already have a minimum wage right now,” Carson said, “and if you index that, you never have to visit that issue ever again in your life, so we never have to talk about raising the minimum wage.”
Wouldn’t indexing the minimum wage to inflation necessarily result in a hike?
“It would only be raised if there was a substantial raise in cost of living,” Carson replied.