The Raise the Wage Act of 2023 would gradually raise the minimum wage to $17 by 2028 and give roughly 28 million Americans a long-overdue raise

WASHINGTON – Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07) joined in introducing Raise the Wage Act of 2023 as an original cosponsor. The Raise the Wage Act would gradually raise the minimum wage to $17 by 2028 and give roughly 28 million Americans a long-overdue raise.

After more than a decade with no increase in the federal minimum wage—the longest period in U.S. history—millions of our nation’s workers are working full-time jobs but are still struggling to make ends meet. One in eight U.S. workers are paid wages that leave them in poverty, even when working full time and year-round. And there is now no place in America where a full-time worker making the federal minimum wage can afford to cover the rent for a modest two-bedroom apartment.

“It is unconscionable that we continue to accept millions of families and their children living in poverty. Anyone who works forty hours each week should be able to afford a home, take care of their families, and live a life with dignity,” said Rep. Grijalva. “This bill is an important step toward addressing systemic poverty and helping more families have the resources they need to not just scrape by but to thrive. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this necessary legislation to end poverty wages and champion efforts to reduce income inequality.”

As a former Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Grijalva introduced the original bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 in 2015 with former Representative Keith Ellison and Senator Bernie Sanders. Since 2013, he has led efforts to fight for a living wage including holding forums on the impact of low wages and has joined workers across the country calling for $15 minimum wage.

The Raise the Wage Act of 2023 would:

• Gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $17 by 2028;
• Index future increases in the federal minimum wage to median wage growth to ensure the value of minimum wage does not once again erode over time;
• Guarantee tipped workers are paid at least the full federal minimum wage by phasing out the subminimum wage for tipped workers, which will ensure decent, consistent pay without eliminating tips;
• Guarantee teen workers are paid at least the full federal minimum wage by phasing out the rarely used subminimum wage for youth workers; and
• End subminimum wage certificates for workers with disabilities to provide opportunities for workers with disabilities to be competitively employed and participate more fully in their communities.

The Raise the Wage Act of 2023 has 146 original House cosponsors and 29 original Senate cosponsors.

To read the bill text for the Raise the Wage Act of 2023, click here.

To read the fact sheet on the Raise the Wage Act of 2023, click here.

To read the section-by-section Raise the Wage Act of 2023, click here.

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