Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced the Raise the Wage Act of 2025 on Tuesday, aiming to increase the federal minimum wage to $17 by 2030. The federally mandated minimum wage has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009.
The legislation, backed by 142 House co-sponsors, would also phase out the subminimum wage for tipped workers, youth, and individuals with disabilities. It includes provisions to index future wage increases automatically.
Scott, ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said the bill would raise wages for nearly 22 million workers and help reduce poverty. “When we put money in the pockets of American workers, they will spend that money in their communities,” he said.
Sanders, who leads the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, called current pay rates “starvation wages” and said the proposal addresses growing income inequality.
The bill proposes gradual increases over five years to achieve the $17-per-hour goal.
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