In a tweet, the EPI said the passage of the Raise the Wage Act in the House is a “victory” that “belongs to workers—starting with the fast food workers who first walked off their jobs in 2012. This is a historic step forward, but we can’t and won’t stop fighting until a living wage is a reality for every worker! #FightFor15.”
In a statement, Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, the author of the legislation and Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, commented, “Today, House Democrats took a major step toward raising wages for up to 33 million American workers. After more than 10 years with no increase in the federal minimum wage – the longest stretch in history – the minimum wage is now a poverty wage everywhere in America. The Raise the Wage Act reflects the basic idea that hardworking Americans working full-time should not live in poverty.”
“But the Raise the Wage Act is not only good for workers; it is good for the economy. When we put money in the pockets of workers, they will spend that money in their local economies. Gradually increasing the minimum wage to $15 by 2025 will stimulate economic growth, particularly in struggling communities,” added Rep. Scott.
Sen. McConnell will not bring the legislation for a vote in the Senate
It is highly unlikely that the Raise the Wage Act will become a law before the 2020 presidential election.
