WASHINGTON — There’s a new push to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio has joined other top Democrats to introduce the Raise the Wage Act of 2021.
Sen. Brown’s office said the bill “would gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025.” That hike would more than double the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Ohio’s minimum wage, meanwhile, saw a slight increase Jan. 1 from $8.70 to $8.80 per hour.
“For too many people in this country, hard work isn’t paying off,” Sen. Brown said. “While costs for Ohio families are rising and workers are more productive than ever, wages aren’t keeping up. It’s long past time that we recognize the value of work in our country, and that’s why I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation and honoring the Dignity of Work.”
In 2026, federal minimum wage would be indexed to median wage growth, Sen. Brown’s office said.
“According to an independent analysis conducted by the Economic Policy Institute, the Raise the Wage Act would increase wages for nearly 32 million Americans, including roughly a third of all Black workers and a quarter of all Latino workers.”
The bill is being cosponsored by dozens of other Democrats, including Chuck Schumer, Cory Booker, Dianne Feinstein, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren.
Read the full "Raise the Wage Act of 2021" bill below: