The Democrats need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster by Republicans.

No Republicans support the measure -- feeling it will hurt businesses and stall the recovery.

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon says the legislation would raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour.  He feels the bump in pay is sorely needed.

"The vast majority of folks that will be affected by this are adults and more than half of them are women and this increase helps support 1 in 4 children.  So it's not just women, but the children."

A recent report by the National Employment Law Project found that low wage industries like food services and retail are helping fuel the recovery.  They account for 43 percent of the total job growth.