March 17 (Bloomberg) — The odds that Congress will pass an increase in the minimum wage before the November elections are so low that even the nation's lobbyists are largely ignoring it.

The AFL-CIO, the nation's largest union group, won't gear up for a push in Congress until a vote on an increase is scheduled in the Senate, said chief lobbyist Bill Samuel. His group, and business organizations that oppose raising hourly pay, are giving more attention to wage proposals in the states.

The National Retail Federation's lobbying in Congress "has been at most a modest stab," said David French, chief lobbyist for the Washington-based industry group that opposes the legislation. "When it is really around the corner, you'll see the lobbying pick up, but it's not going to require an all-out blitz."

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