Mitt Romney has bluntly criticized the Republican Party for not supporting a raise in the nations' minimum wage.
The former governor of Massachusetts, who was the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, told
the Washington Post his party is missing the boat in opposing a wage boost touted heavily by President Barack Obama.
"As a party we speak a lot about deregulation and tax policy, and you know what? People have been hearing that for 25 years, and they're getting tired of that message," Romney said in a recent interview with the newspaper.
"I think we're nuts not to raise the minimum wage. I think, as a party, to say we're trying to help the middle class of America and the poor and not raise the minimum wage sends exactly the wrong signal."
The current minimum wage in the United States is $9.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has introduced a bill to the Senate that would raise the minimum wage to $15.