WASHINGTON, DC - A step was made toward the first federal minimum wage hike in a decade this morning, with the House voting 231 to 199 in favor of the Raise the Wage Act. If it goes through Senate, it would mean more than doubling the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2025.
“I commend my colleagues for taking this important step towards creating an economy that works for everyone,” Rep. Bobby Scott, a Virginia Democrat who introduced the legislation, said in a statement, according to CNBC. “Now, Senate Republicans must decide to either stand with American workers or turn their backs on hardworking people across the country.”
The news source noted, however, that this week the White House warned President Donald Trump would veto the measure if it crossed his desk, arguing the administration’s policies are “driving economic growth and increasing workers’ take-home pay far more effectively and efficiently” than the Democratic plan. The White House contended it would “eliminate jobs and reduce total wages for American workers,” according to the report.
On the food industry side, the subject has been a matter of contention as far back as 2012, with workers protesting for more per-hour. McDonald’s recently delivered a turn in its position, which may have assisted the small victory for the act. The fast-food giant has lobbied against raising the federal minimum wage, but recently announced they would stop doing so, while Walmart's CEO previously said that the federal minimum was "too low" where it stands.
The act made it through the House not just with six Democratic votes, but also three Republican ones, raising eyebrows for its future promise.
Will the Trump administration maintain its stance on the act, or make yet another unpredictable turn to push it through for an unprecedented wage hike across the U.S.? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on this and any effects it has on our industry.
