Missouri GOP Sen Hawley to introduce bill to raise federal minimum wage to $15 an hour

Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley will introduce a bill on Tuesday to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Hawley's "Higher Wages for American Workers Act" would raise the federal minimum wage in 2026 and call for an increase in following years to match inflation, CBS News reported. Sen. Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, is a co-sponsor. 

"For decades, working Americans have seen their wages flatline," Hawley told 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."

Said Welch: "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. Every hard-working American deserves a living wage that helps put a roof over their head and food on the table – $7.25 an hour doesn't even come close."

The federal minimum wage has been at $7.25 an hour since 2009.

The legislation is part of a larger package of legislative proposals that Hawley called the "Pro-Worker Framework for the 119th Congress," which includes a proposal to help strengthen protections for union jobs and collective bargaining.

Missouri voters in November approved a ballot measure raising the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2026. However, the state legislature repealed part of the law that would have permitted later increases for inflation.

President Trump earlier this year rescinded former President Biden's executive order that raised the minimum wage for federal contractors to $17.75 per hour.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, during his Senate confirmation hearing in January, said that he doesn't support raising the federal minimum wage, as the states should make their own decisions about raising the minimum wage.