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Democrats on the House Education & Labor Committee voted 28-20 along party-lines on Wednesday to advance the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582), which would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024 and index it to inflation thereafter. Having cleared committee, the bill could be considered on the House floor soon.
Advocates claim that the bill would give nearly 40 million Americans a raise and in turn provide an economic stimulus to local businesses and communities. Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) called the Raise the Wage Act an “important step toward lifting millions of workers out of poverty."
Critics argue that raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour is too drastic, and would end up hurting low-wage workers as their employers deal with the increased labor cost by cutting hours or eliminating positions altogether by turning to automation.