Washington, D.C. — Carmel Martin, executive vice president for policy at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement today after Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), and Democratic legislators introduced legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2024:
A $15 hourly minimum wage would mean a living wage for millions of Americans, many of whom must work multiple jobs or shifts just to scrape by and pay the bills. An increased minimum wage would go a long way toward ensuring that all Americans can share in the country’s economic growth and prosperity and would save taxpayers billions of dollars by ensuring that low-wage workers do not have to turn to public assistance programs to make ends meet. Worker advocates, state and local policymakers, and voters across the country are increasingly taking action to raise wages for low-wage and hourly workers.
President Donald Trump promised to be a champion for American workers, but so far, he’s been all talk and no action. If President Trump really wants to deliver for working people, he should become the $15 minimum wage bill’s loudest cheerleader.
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