Democratic-led House votes to raise minimum wage

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bill to raise the federal minimum wage for the first time in a decade won passage in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday as newly empowered Democrats moved quickly to keep campaign promises.

On a vote of 315-116, the Democratic-led House approved legislation to increase the minimum wage over two years to $7.25 per hour from $5.15 per hour.

The bill now goes to the Democratic-led Senate, which will likely add a tax break to it for small businesses so the measure can clear a possible Republican procedural roadblock.