Sen. Bernie Sanders, had proposed a bill to raise the minimum wage to $17 per hour from the bench mark of $7.25. The two-year high inflation caused by the pandemic had affected several communities, and so the need to raise the minimum wage emerged.
Sen. Bernie Sanders: raise the minimum wage (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Raise the Minimum Wage per Hour
For over a decade, the wage per hour is at $7.25, making low-wage earners at least 12 years with no salary increase. With this, Sen. Bernie Sanders felt the need to raise the minimum wage since the $7.25 is now too low for the current status of the economy. Sanders believed that the $17 is “living wage” to minimum-income earners, as compared to the $7.25 benchmark.
Some law makers had felt the need to raise the minimum wage. However, they are reluctant to settle for a number beyond $15.
Read Also: Biden Administration Funds $178 Million Grants To 24 Schools, Prioritizing Education
Other Congressmen: Raise the Minimum Wage to $10
The major roadblock for Sen. Bernie Sanders in passing the bill to raise the minimum wage was with the Senate and Congress.
There is not much support from Republicans and Democrats. There were some objection in the Congress suggesting a lower rate of $10, instead of $17 to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 benchmark.
The Senate had struggled to get the needed vote in approving the bill to raise the minimum wage into legislation since there isn’t much support for the bill in the Senate.
Read Also: Mayor Eric Adams Considers Converting Empty Schools Into Migrant Shelters
