A group of House Democrats introduced a bill Tuesday that would hike the minimum wage to $25 per hour, the boldest target any progressives in Congress have set for the federal wage floor.
The legislation from Reps. Delia Ramirez (Ill.) and Analilia Mejia (N.J.) won’t be going anywhere while Republicans control the House and Senate. But it’s a sign of how some Democrats are moving well beyond the $15 minimum wage that was the party’s rallying cry for several years, especially as families continue to feel the squeeze of inflation.
Ramirez said at a press conference outside the House on Tuesday that basic living expenses have continued to climb while the federal minimum wage has remained stagnant for over a decade.
“People are working full-time jobs and still cannot afford to live,” Ramirez said. She said the current minimum wage of $7.25 “is not a living wage. That is a wage to keep you poor and barely keep you living.”
The bill would provide a several-year phase-in period and give smaller firms more time to adjust. Large employers that have at least 500 workers or $1 billion in gross annual revenue would hit $25 by 2031. Employers that don’t meet those criteria would have until 2038.
