Westbank Louisiana News

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-Va.), backed by 174 colleagues from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, have introduced the Raise the Wage Act aimed at increasing the federal minimum wage to $17 by 2030. The legislation is supported by 85 organizations nationwide and proposes the gradual elimination of subminimum wages for tipped workers, workers with disabilities, and youth workers.

The act seeks to address income inequality and improve economic conditions for American workers. Sanders, who pushed for an amendment on the Budget Resolution to raise the federal minimum wage, remarked, "The $7.25 an hour minimum wage is a starvation wage. It must be raised to a living wage – at least $17 an hour." Scott echoed the sentiment by stating, “No person working full-time in America should be living in poverty."

The move comes as about 22 million American workers earn less than $17 per hour. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) suggests that adapting the minimum wage in line with worker productivity could have elevated it to over $23 an hour today. Both senators also call attention to the economic insecurity faced by low-wage workers, particularly among Black and Hispanic communities and women of color.

The Raise the Wage Act of 2025, if passed, would phase out the tipped subminimum wage over seven years and eliminate the subminimum wage for workers with disabilities over five years. The initiative has seen similar legislative actions on state levels, with states like Missouri, Alaska, and Florida voting to raise their minimum wages to $15 in recent years.

The legislation's endorsement list includes prominent unions and workers' organizations like the AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and American Federation of Teachers (AFT). A press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. today where Sanders and Scott will formally introduce the bill alongside workers from across the country.