Hawley to introduce bill raising federal minimum wage to $15/hr

Missouri US Senator Josh Hawley says he is going to introduce legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.

It currently sits at $7.25 per hour and has not risen since 2009.

CBS News first reported the legislation, called the “Higher Wages for American Workers Act,” would raise the federal standard starting in 2026 and would also call for an increase in subsequent years to match inflation.

“For decades, working Americans have seen their wages flatline. One major culprit of this is the failure of the federal minimum wage to keep up with the economic reality facing hard-working Americans every day,” Hawley said in a statement. “This bipartisan legislation would ensure that workers across America benefit from higher wages.”