Politics

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley Pushes for $15 Federal Minimum Wage: Report

By Jake Beardslee · June 10, 2025

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO, spaeks as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, appears in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in Washington, D.C., on May 15, 2025. Jack Gruber-USA TODAY via Imagn Images

According to an exclusive report from ABC, in a surprising bipartisan move, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), a prominent conservative figure in Congress, is set to introduce legislation Tuesday that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, starting in 2026. The bill, known as the “Higher Wages for American Workers Act,” also includes automatic increases tied to inflation in subsequent years. Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) has reportedly joined as a co-sponsor.

“For decades, working Americans have seen their wages flatline,” Hawley said in a statement given to CBS News. “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. This bipartisan legislation would ensure that workers across America benefit from higher wages.”

Welch echoed the sentiment: “We’re in the midst of a severe affordability crisis, with families in red and blue states alike struggling to afford necessities like housing and groceries. A stagnant federal minimum wage only adds fuel to the fire.”

The federal minimum wage has remained unchanged at $7.25 per hour since 2009. While Republicans have historically opposed federal wage increases, Hawley’s support reflects a shift in GOP strategy post-Trump, one that increasingly appeals to working-class voters through populist economic proposals.

The bill is part of Hawley’s broader “Pro-Worker Framework for the 119th Congress,” which includes support for union protections and collective bargaining. Earlier this year, Hawley partnered with Sen. Bernie Sanders to propose a cap on credit card interest rates and previously introduced a minimum wage requirement for large corporations.

In Missouri, voters approved a $15 state minimum wage starting in 2026, but state lawmakers blocked planned inflation adjustments.

Earlier this year, President Trump reversed a Biden-era executive order that had increased the minimum wage for federal contractors to $17.75. According to the Center for American Progress, this reversal allows corporations with government contracts to lower wages for hundreds of thousands of workers, as the U.S. Department of Labor will no longer enforce the Biden-era rule.

An older Obama-era regulation remains in place, but it sets a lower wage floor, meaning some federal contract workers could now see their pay drop to $13.30 per hour—a reduction of up to 25 percent.