WASHINGTON, D.C. (LOOTPRESS) — In a rare bipartisan move, Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley is introducing legislation Tuesday to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour — aligning himself with Democratic lawmakers on an issue long supported by the left.
The bill, called the “Higher Wages for American Workers Act,” would gradually raise the federal minimum wage beginning in 2026 and tie future increases to inflation. Democratic Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont has signed on as a co-sponsor.
“For decades, working Americans have seen their wages flatline,” Hawley said in a statement. “This bipartisan legislation would ensure that workers across America benefit from higher wages.”
Welch echoed the urgency, citing the rising cost of living. “Families in red and blue states alike are struggling to afford housing and groceries,” he said. “A stagnant federal minimum wage only adds fuel to the fire.”
The federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009, despite steady inflation and rising living costs. Hawley’s proposal bucks longstanding conservative resistance to raising the wage floor, reflecting a shift in Republican messaging toward working-class concerns.
Hawley, a vocal advocate for realigning GOP priorities in the post-Trump era, has been pushing for a more populist economic agenda. His new minimum wage proposal is part of a broader policy package called the “Pro-Worker Framework for the 119th Congress,” which also includes plans to support unions and collective bargaining rights.
This isn’t Hawley’s first break from GOP economic orthodoxy. He previously partnered with Sen. Bernie Sanders on a bill to cap credit card interest rates at 10%, and in the last Congress, introduced a separate minimum wage bill targeting large corporations.
In Missouri, voters approved a ballot initiative last year to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 by 2026. However, the state legislature later blocked automatic adjustments for inflation, prompting Hawley to act at the federal level.
The proposal comes as federal debate over wage policy intensifies. Earlier this year, President Trump rescinded a Biden-era executive order that raised the minimum wage for federal contractors to $17.75. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has stated that decisions on wage laws should be left to individual states.
Hawley’s bill sets the stage for a renewed national debate on wage standards — and signals a potentially significant shift in Republican economic policy heading into the 2026 election cycle.
