The minimum wage is still not a living wage, but corporations have been fighting an increase, practically forever. Some states have taken things into their own hands and raised the hourly rate, but now there is a push in Congress to significantly raise it nationwide.
A new law being proposed seeks to incrementally double the current federal minimum wage from $7.25, where it has sat since 2009, to $15 by 2025.
This proposal is being led by Democrats. The Hill is reporting that “Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Tuesday that Democrats can use a special process known as budget reconciliation to increase the minimum wage to President Biden’s proposed target of $15 an hour without any Republican votes.”
Studies done by Bernie Sanders’ Data for Progress show that not only are voters overwhelmingly in favor of the wage hike but even more so when it comes to eliminating the loophole allowing certain industries be exempted and a federal minimum wage applied to all.
The wages would increase by roughly a dollar each year until 2025 when the rate would then be tied to median wage growth, “meaning Congress wouldn’t have to pass legislation for future increases,” according a report by The Olympian.
For a list of all the changes to federal minimum wage over the years, go here.