House Approves Bill to Double Federal Minimum Wage to $15
Mitch McConnell has no plans to bring the bill to the Senate floor.
The House of Representatives passed the Raise the wage Act, 231-199, that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 from $7.25. The bill states it has to happen by 2025.
While the left celebrates the news, the bill may never see the light of day in the Republican-controlled Senate.
CNBC listed the top points in the bill:
- It would increase the federal pay floor to $15 per hour by 2025, then index future increase to median wage gains.
- The minimum wage hikes would take effect on the following schedule: $8.40 in 2019, $9.50 in 2020, $10.60 in 2021, $11.70 in 2022, $12.80 in 2023, $13.90 in 2024 and $15 in 2025.
- It would eventually abolish the lower minimum wage for tipped workers.
- The bill would eliminate a seldom used pay floor for teen workers that pays them less than the minimum wage.
- It would also toss out subminimum wages for workers with disabilities.
- An amendment adopted Thursday, proposed by Rep. Tom O’Halleran, requires a Government Accountability Office report on the effects of minimum wage increases. House and Senate committees could use the report to recommend changes to curb any negative effects of the bill.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), passed in committee in March, but only came to the floor now after months of negotiations between the progressive Democrats and the centrist Democrats.
The Democrats and Midwest wanted the bill to include a tiered minimum wage to match an area’s cost of living. The progressives won in the end with a straight $15 an hour. The moderates only won the timeline since the bill originally increased the wage by 2024. Scott added an amendment to go into effect by 2024.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) applauded the move, saying the “time has come” for an increase in the minimum wage.
The Congressional Budget Office determined a $15 minimum wage “had the potential to lift 1.3 million people out of poverty, and increase pay for 17 million workers.” However, the increase in the wage “could lead to 1.3 million people losing their jobs.”
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) denounced the bill because it “hits families and businesses hard.” She claimed the raise would force job creators “to reduce workers’ hours, eliminate jobs, increase automation, or close their doors for good.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he “has no plans to bring the legislation up in his chamber” since the bill would “depress the economy at a time of economic boom.”
President Donald Trump made it known he would veto the bill if it landed on his desk.
Numerous states and Washington, DC, have already raised minimum wages. Just a few days ago, Restaurants Unlimited, Inc. filed for bankruptcy due to higher minimum wages, but also “two disappointing restaurant openings and consumers shunning casual dining.”
In January, New York City restaurants had to cut staff and hours due to the state’s $15 minimum wage. Jon Bloostein, who operates six restaurants in the city, explained to CBS News he had to cut hours in order for the businesses to stay afloat along with raising menu prices.
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Comments
Democrats: Tripling down on Stupid.
Dems (which is to say Communists) really hate America.
Dems just have a “death wish.”
“must”
The problem is progressive prices, immigration reform, central/single schemes, environmentalism in lieu of conservation, and debt without borders. Raising the minimum wage only serves to sustain and exacerbate a persistent, recycled condition that is forced by a misalignment of diverse factors.
“…Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) applauded the move, saying the “time has come” for an increase in the minimum wage…”
Says WHO? You? You worthless brain dead commie? What do you know about wages and economics. Apparently you know JACK.
I think I will invest some money in warehouse and restaurant robotics companies.
think the illegal problem is bad, wait till the democrats get this through
. . . could use the report to recommend changes to curb any negative effects of the bill.
Well, that’s progress. At least someone envisions the possibility of negative effects. We usually don’t hear about any such thing from Progressives, since they deal in unicorn farts which of course never hurt anybody.
Yeah, but what are they planning? To make it illegal to reduce manpower to offset the increased cost of wages? That’s France’s approach and they have SUCH a good employment track record (/s if anyone needs it)
Why not make it $100 per hour? Everybody will be rich!
The story behind the story is that there are many union jobs where the wage rates paid are factored off the minimum wage rate. Get an increase in the minimum wage, union members wages go up.
I made a similar statement on social media that included that was the reason unions supported minimum wage increases, not out of concern for those not paying union dues. When I was forced to join a union in a compulsory union state, our contact raised all wages in the contract by the same percentage minimum wage was increased. So the individual that was making $7.25/hour and trying to purchase something made by a $30/hour union member would then be making $15/hour and trying to buy things made by a union member making $62/hour. Democrats call this helping the poor.
It won’t be just starter jobs being automated. Assembly jobs will become more and more automated, and new methods will be found to do the same tasks with less labor. Then, more jobs for Texas and other right to work states.
I hope the firearms unions use to shoot themselves in the foot are union-made.
If union wages double, there is only one outcome: a lot of layoffs are going to happen. Whether that happens because companies get rid of people on their own accord or whether the unions double down on strikes and forced bankruptcy, the same effect will have been achieved.
The can now easily double it again, to zero.
This has nothing with wages for anyone. The dems know it will not get by the Senate so it is just theater.
What stupidity.
The trouble with Derp State Washington is that so many of the bills introduced are never intended to become law — they’re fund-raising fodder and nothing else.
Even the ones that are meant to become law are not written to solve any problems, but to make them worse in hopes the people will clamor for socialism outright.
I’m fine with paying everyone in the House and Senate $15 an hour and making them part time.
“It would eventually abolish the lower minimum wage for tipped workers.”
Killing employment in the restaurant industry. Only the fanciest restaurants could afford wait staff.
“It would also toss out subminimum wages for workers with disabilities.”
Guaranteeing their instant unemployment. I hope that isn’t the point, but you never can tell whether progressives are being stupid or evil when they propose things like this.
And in the same news cycle the Sander’s staff is revolting over poverty wages.
The old commie doesn’t want to give away his money.
Life is so simple for Liberal Progressive Dems. Double what people at the bottom make and you eliminate poverty. Problem is that there will always be poverty.
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If the level of income for “poverty” is $20,000 now, it will be $30,000 in 2025. On top of that the government will then have to pay significantly more to provide services and support to the poor raising the cost of government significantly.
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All of this so that some teenagers entering the workforce for the first time can make more than they are worth.
My daughter was excited when she got out of nursing school and found a job making 14 an hour. I said congratulations. When the Democrats get back in they’ll raise minimum wage to 15 an hour and you’ll be back to making the same as the high school dropout at McDonald’s that sweeps the parking lot for meth money. She got mad at ME.
Hoping this is right about the turtle. $15/hr is BS for business. Look at the slugs you get for 10-12/hr.