Bill to raise federal minimum wage to $17 an hour reintroduced in Congress

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - For over a decade, the federal minimum wage sitting at just $7.25 an hour. Congress has debated raising it for years to no avail. But that hasn’t deterred Michigan Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and other house Democrats. They recently reintroduced the Raise the Wage Act. It would gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $17 an hour by 2028.

“I think the difference between introducing it four years ago or whenever it was and now is the rate of inflation,” said Rep. Slotkin. “The federal minimum wage right now has so been surpassed by what most people are making even in a minimum wage job that it just needs updating.”

This bill would also phase out subminimum wages for tipped workers, youth workers and for workers with disabilities.

If it passes, supports say up to 28 million Americans could see a raise.

It could be an uphill battle to get the bill on President Biden’s desk, but Slotkin says the bill is about sending a message.

“We’re unlikely to see this brought to the floor of the house. But we wanted to make the point that if you care about workers, like put your money where your mouth is and give them a decent minimum wage,” she said.

Congresswoman Slotkin says if the federal minimum wage is raised to $17 an hour, that change would directly affect over half a million Michiganders, about 12 percent of the state’s workforce.

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