One of the fiercest conservative firebrands in Congress is … pushing for raising the federal minimum wage?
That typically liberal tenet is actually being championed by GOP Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, one of the most outspoken conservative lawmakers currently in Congress.
(Hawley often has no problem calling out his own party — and president — if he feels that it’s not serving conservatism enough.)
So how did we get here?
On Tuesday, Hawley and Vermont Democratic Sen. Peter Welch unveiled the “Higher Wages for American Workers Act.”
The act “would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and allow the federal minimum wage to increase with inflation in subsequent years.”
“When adjusted for inflation, the current federal minimum wage is lower than at any point since the 1940s. Meanwhile, the cost of housing, healthcare, and education has skyrocketed, leaving millions of full-time workers struggling to make ends meet,” Hawley’s website explained.
The Missouri senator would continue: “For decades, working Americans have seen their wages flatline. One major culprit of this is the failure of the federal minimum wage to keep up with the economic reality facing hardworking Americans every day.
“This bipartisan legislation would ensure that workers across America benefit from higher wages.”
Is a minimum wage increase something conservatives should consider supporting?
Welch echoed Hawley’s sentiments from across the aisle.
“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,” Welch said. “A stagnant federal minimum wage only adds fuel to the fire.
“Every hardworking 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.”
Welch added: “Times have changed, and working families deserve a wage that reflects today’s financial reality. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan effort to raise the minimum wage nationwide to help more folks make ends meet.”
Should this bill be signed, the $15 federal minimum wage would go into effect January 2026.
It would also immediately allow that minimum wage to increase alongside inflation.
While efforts to raise the federal minimum wage have often been a Democratic rallying cry, Hawley took to X to frame this initiative as another part of President Donald Trump’s “America First”-agenda:
Here’s a simple proposal: MORE deportations for illegals – and higher WAGES for Americans https://t.co/O8Y4hq2daW
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) June 10, 2025
“Here’s a simple proposal,” Hawley posted to X. “MORE deportations for illegals – and higher WAGES for Americans.”
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