Republican U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon said the government ought to consider the effects of its mandates on businesses, including the health care overhaul and legislation that increases the minimum wage.
McMahon's comments came this morning during a brief press conference at an East Hartford cleaning business. She was there to collect the endorsement of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, an industry group that's opposed to increases in the federal minimum wage, as well as expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act and efforts to make it easier for employees to join a union.
Any increases in the minimum wage ought to take into account "our total economy,'' McMahon said.
While conceding that the minimum wage has benefitted a lot of people, McMahon said "we ought to review how much it ought to be and whether or not we ought to have increases in the minimum wage.''
McMahon was asked if she knew what the minimum wage in Connecticut is but said she did not know (it's $8.25 an hour.)
She was also asked whether any employees at World Wrestling Entertainment, the firm she and her husband built, earned minimum wage. She said perhaps some summer interns did, but, once again, she said she did not know.
McMahon said she did not solicit the business group's endorsement but was pleased to receive it. Although NFIB has a political action committee, McMahon, a multimillionaire who is self-funding her campaign, will not be accepting PAC money from the group.
Her Democratic opponent, Richard Blumenthal, has received the backing of several large unions.