Both Republican and Democrat lawmakers have begun debating over the issue of minimum wages. This happens after the protest to raise the minimum wages to $15 per hour gains weight among workers.
This Wednesday, Dean Phillips, Rep. D-Minn., explicitly shared his support of the protests that are going on across the nation. He said that he wants to see the minimum wages of America go up. He expressed that he wanted to see small businesses thriving so that there are more jobs in the States. Rep. Phillips explained that the nation should focus on increasing the basic pay and to focus on aiding small businesses as they are the backbone of the nation’s economy. This statement was made by him during the House Committee’s hearing on small businesses.
Minimum Wages To Go Up From $7.25 To $15
The protests have gained fervor after Democrats introduced the ‘Raise the Wages Act, 2021’ last month. According to the Act, the federal basic wages will be gradually increased from an earlier $7.25 to $15 per hour by the end of 2025. The Act is a part of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief aid that is to be put to vote this Friday. However, the nation is in much need of the federal relief fund, it is still unclear whether this minimum wage provision will be passed by the Senate.
Another proposal was also uncovered related to the same subject by Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah.). This included the idea of increasing the minimum wages to $10 an hour by 2025. The wages will thereby keep increasing every two years to match the inflation rate. However, as an addition, this bill mandates that all employers ensure that their businesses are not hiring illegal immigrants.
The future of 17 million workers depends on the prospect of the Minimum Wages Act. Protesting workers also declare that the pandemic has made this Act more urgent than ever.
