Many Republicans including House Speaker John Boehner oppose an increase, saying it would lead companies to cut jobs. A report last week by the Congressional Budget Office, Congress’s nonpartisan research arm, said the Democratic plan may cost as many as 500,000 jobs.

Landrieu told reporters today that she supported some sort of wage increase, though she hadn’t committed to the $10.10 level urged by Obama. She added that she was particularly interested in exploring an increase for employees who earn tips, a segment of the workforce she said was important for many industries in Louisiana.

“I’m open for ideas that people will have,” she said.

‘Too Fast’

Pryor, who has said raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour is “too much, too fast,” said today in an interview that he may consider a smaller increase.

Reid said Senate debate on the wage measure, which he had previously said could begin next week, would be delayed until later in March. Even so, he said “the slowdown has been the result of continued obstruction” by Republicans. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour hasn’t increased since 2009.

The delay in debate until senators return on March 24 from a week-long break gives labor unions more time to organize support for the proposal, said a Senate Democratic leadership aide, who requested anonymity to discuss strategy.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said today that she’ll lead an effort to force a vote on raising the minimum wage. The procedure, known as a discharge petition, faces long odds of succeeding in the Republican-led House.

Alternative Proposal

Meanwhile, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, the only Republican seeking re-election this year in a state Obama won in 2012, is working to develop an alternative proposal that could garner support from moderate senators of both parties.

“I haven’t settled on particular numbers,” Collins said in an interview. “I’m just trying to figure out what would do the most, in terms of not creating disincentives for employers to create jobs, and to help some of the low-income families.”

Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said he’s meeting with Collins and other lawmakers to find an agreement. Manchin said he supported an increase to $10.10.

“I’m very much in favor of raising 1 million people out of poverty, but I don’t want to sacrifice jobs,” Manchin said in an interview.

The CBO report said raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour may lift about 900,000 Americans out of poverty, supporting Democrats’ arguments in favor of the legislation.

An increase to $9 an hour would probably cost about 300,000 jobs and raise 100,000 Americans out of poverty, the report said.

Retailer Opposition

The National Retail Federation and U.S. Chamber of Commerce oppose a minimum wage increase. Companies including Darden Restaurants Inc., which owns Red Lobster and Olive Garden, cite a potential minimum wage increase as a risk factor in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Others, such as Costco Wholesale Corp., back the change, saying it would help reduce turnover and increase productivity.

A Jan. 8 poll by Quinnipiac University found that 71 percent of Americans, including 52 percent of Republicans, support a higher minimum wage.

Gap Inc., the largest clothing-focused chain in the U.S., announced plans last week to boost the hourly wages of its workers to $10 by next year, moving ahead of a potential federal increase. The change will affect 65,000 workers, the San Francisco-based company said.

Reid told reporters today that Gap’s move left little excuse for lawmakers to refrain from raising the federal wage floor to $10.10 an hour.

“They’ve just done it,” he said. “They’ve raised the minimum wage already. It’s happening all over the country.”