Senator Hawley Joins With Liberal Democrat in Unlikely Alliance To Push for $15 Federal Minimum Wage

Senator Hawley is introducing legislation that puts him in the company of some of the most liberal members of Congress. The Missouri Republican introduced a bill Tuesday to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. Unlike the current minimum wage, it would rise yearly using inflation rates.Senator Welch, a Vermont Democrat, is co-sponsoring the Higher Wages for American Workers Act. If passed and signed into law, the new wage rules would go into effect starting in January.“For decades, working Americans have seen their wages flatline. One major culprit of this is the failure of the federal minimum wage to keep up with the economic reality facing hardworking Americans every day,” Mr. Hawley said in a release on the legislation. “This bipartisan legislation would ensure that workers across America benefit from higher wages.”Mr. Hawley says the current federal minimum wage is lower than at any point since the 1940s when adjusted for inflation.The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour and 20 states use that figure. The rest have higher minimum wages, with several already above the proposed federal $15 an hour minimum wage. Washington, D.C., has the highest minimum wage in the country at $17.50 an hour, followed by Washington State at $16.66 and California at $16.50. Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island all have at least $15 minimum wages, according to human resources software firm Paycom.The federal minimum wage has not risen since 2009. “We’re in the midst of a severe affordability crisis, with families in red and blue states alike struggling to afford necessities like housing and groceries,” Mr. Welch said. “A stagnant federal minimum wage only adds fuel to the fire. Every hardworking American deserves a living wage that helps put a roof over their head and food on the table–$7.25 an hour doesn’t even come close.”The three-page bill does not mention carveouts for bar and restaurant servers, who typically have lower minimum wages that are supplemented by customer tips.Mr. Hawley admits it will be an uphill battle to get the legislation to the floor of the Senate or garner enough support to pass.“I’d love to get a vote on it. I think it’s hard to vote against,” Mr. Hawley told NBC News. “I say that, but probably most of my Republican colleagues vote against it happily.”Mr. Hawley has taken other populist positions that put him at odds with some Republican members of Congress. He has called cuts to Medicaid in President Trump’s “one big beautiful bill” politically suicidal.He has also previously introduced a bill to cap credit card interest rates, something that liberals like Senator Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have endorsed.

Senator Hawley Joins With Liberal Democrat in Unlikely Alliance To Push for $15 Federal Minimum Wage

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