Pat Quinn: Chris Christie Is 'On The Wrong Track' On Minimum Wage

Pat Quinn: Chris Christie Is 'On The Wrong Track'

Gov. Pat Quinn (D-Ill.) made the case for a minimum wage hike and hit back at Republican governors from whom he's garnered criticism during a Tuesday HuffPost Live appearance.

Quinn is currently taking the "Minimum Wage Challenge" and living on $79 over seven days, a number he arrived at after removing taxes, housing and transportation costs from a week's worth of wages.

"There's something just not right if you work 40 hours a week and you have to live in poverty," he said. "We want to eliminate poverty and one of the best ways to do it is to raise the minimum wage and help thousands of hard working people get a fair shake."

Quinn has faced harsh criticism from Republicans amid his re-election bid. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) traveled to Chicago last week to rally support for Quinn's Republican gubernatorial challenge, Bruce Rauner. Christie called Quinn a "failed" and "miserably unpopular" governor, to which Quinn encouraged HuffPost viewers to "consider the source."

"He turned down raising the minimum wage there I believe in New Jersey. I think he's on the wrong track," Quinn said.

Quinn also quipped that he was "sentenced to the harshest punishment known to man: seven days on their own with Rick Perry" when the two were roommates on a trip to Afghanistan and Iraq. Quinn and Perry have sparred over raising the minimum wage, which Perry warned "would kill jobs."

"These guys call you a lot of names, I don't really pay much attention to it," Quinn said, doubling down on his plans to raise the minimum wage, extend paid leave and diminish pregnancy discrimination in the work place.

"We can do it, we just have to band together in the best traditions of our democracy and we'll show that Chris Christie and Rick Perry where to go," he said.

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