VIDEO: Senator Murray Joins Senate and House Democratic Leaders to Introduce Bill Gradually Raising Minimum Wage

The Raise the Wage Act will gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 in 2024 

Senator Murray: New bill is “one of the many steps we can take to ensure workers, especially the millions of women supporting their families, have the economic security to build better lives” 

***WATCH VIDEO OF SENATOR MURRAY’S FULL REMARKS HERE***

(Washington, D.C.)  – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate labor committee, joined Democratic leaders in the House and Senate to introduce the Raise the Wage Act of 2019. The bill would gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2024, index future minimum wage increases to median wage growth, and ensure all workers are paid at least the full federal minimum wage by phasing out the subminimum wages for tipped workers, youth workers, and workers with disabilities. Along with Senator Murray, 30 members cosponsored the Raise the Wage Act in the Senate, and a companion bill was introduced in the House with 181 cosponsors.

(Watch video of Senator Murray’s full remarks HERE. Copy of Senator Murray’s remarks available upon request.)

“There are millions of women and men across the country who work a full-time job, or work multiple jobs, and are still unable to pay their bills and make ends meet. Women make up almost two-thirds of minimum wage earners and two-thirds of tipped workers, many of whom struggle to support their families on a subminimum tipped wage. So I’m proud to introduce the Raise the Wage Act today as one of the many steps we can take to ensure workers, especially the millions of women supporting their families, have the economic security to build better lives,” said Senator Murray.

The Raise the Wage Act would give a particularly benefit workers of color and women. Women make up nearly two-thirds of all workers paid the minimum wage—and if this bill is passed, more than 20 million women across the country would get a raise. 40 percent of working black women and 35 percent of Latina working women would benefit from raising the wage. This bill would also benefit tipped workers—two-thirds of whom are women—by giving a much-needed raise to some of our lowest paid workers.  

To read the bill text of the Raise the Wage Act, click HERE.

To read the section-by-section of the Raise the Wage Act, click HERE.

To read a fact sheet on Raise the Wage Act, click HERE.