South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegBillionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November Buttigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice MORE (D) slammed a number of "so-called conservative Christian senators" on Tuesday for blocking legislation to raise the minimum wage, suggesting they were going against God.

"So-called conservative Christian senators right now in the Senate are blocking a bill to raise the minimum wage when Scripture says that 'Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their maker,'" Buttigieg said during the Democratic primary debate in Detroit.

Buttigieg: "So called conservative Christian senators right now in the Senate are blocking a bill to raise the minimum wage when scripture says that whoever oppresses the poor taunts their maker." pic.twitter.com/kDpQBc7Imr — Axios (@axios) July 31, 2019

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Buttigieg, a practicing Episcopalian, regularly invokes his faith on the campaign trail, using it to call for compassion and unity while criticizing the Trump administration.

His comments come after the House approved legislation earlier this month to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2025 in a 231-199 vote mostly along party lines.

The vote marked the first time that the lower chamber has moved to raise the minimum wage since 2007 when it was increased to $7.25 per hour starting in 2009.

The proposal has little chance of passing through the GOP-controlled Senate but has given Democrats an economic issue to rally around ahead of the 2020 elections.