House Passes $15 Minimum Wage Bill Key to 2020 Campaign Message
- Wage-floor hike has little chance in GOP-controlled Senate
- Many states, major retailers have taken action on their own
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference on the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582) in Washington on July 18, 2019.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The U.S. House approved legislation that would more than double the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, fulfilling a campaign promise of Democrats who control the chamber and intend to capitalize on the pro-worker issue again in 2020.
The legislation that passed on a 231-199 vote would boost the nation’s $7.25-an-hour wage floor to $15 by 2025 and then automatically adjust it going forward. This bill has no chance to advance in the GOP-led Senate, but leading 2020 Democratic presidential contenders have highlighted the need to boost pay through a higher minimum wage and other policy changes.