Chairman Scott Statement 12-Year Anniversary of $7.25 Minimum Wage
WASHINGTON – Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement acknowledging the 12-year anniversary of the $7.25 federal minimum wage on July 24. We are now experiencing the longest period of time without an increase in the federal minimum wage since it was created in 1938.
“Today our nation reached a shameful milestone. Today marks 12 years since the last increase in the federal minimum wage – the longest period without an increase since it was established more than eight decades ago.
“Despite several efforts by House Democrats to raise wages for millions of workers, Republicans continue to block any increase in the federal minimum wage. In fact, earlier this week, one of my Republican colleagues on the Education and Labor Committee suggested that the federal minimum wage should not exist at all.
“The $7.25 minimum wage continues to inflict financial hardship on hardworking people. Millions of our workers— including frontline and essential workers — are working at least 40 hours a week but cannot provide for themselves and their families. There is not a single county in America where a full-time worker making the federal minimum wage can afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. The value of the federal minimum wage has plummeted by 20 percent since the last increase in 2009.
“Earlier this year, the House passed provisions to gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025 and ensure that all workers make the full federal minimum wage. This bill would raise wages for nearly 32 million workers and stimulate local economies across the country.
“I implore my Senate Republican colleagues to recognize the urgent need and overwhelming public support for increasing the federal minimum wage. We must enact the Raise the Wage Act.”
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