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March 5, 2021 | S.53

It's been a decade since the federal minimum wage has increased. Meanwhile, the cost of living has continually increased for working Americans. For many Americans, working 40 hours or more a week is not enough to support themselves and their families. Airline employees, call center workers, retail store employees, and bank workers work full time for some of the most highly profitable corporations, but many still earn poverty level wages. Workers’ productivity has risen by over 70 percent in the last four decades, but our wages have only increased by 11 percent over the same time period.

At a time when wage stagnation and income inequality hold back our families and our economy, the Raise the Wage Act will begin to reverse that cycle and raise pay broadly, especially for the most vulnerable members of the workforce. Specifically, the Raise the Wage Act will:

  • Index future increases in the federal minimum wage to median wage growth to ensure the value of minimum wage does not once again erode over time;
  • Guarantee tipped workers are paid at least the full federal minimum wage by phasing out the subminimum wage for tipped workers, which will ensure decent, consistent pay without  eliminating tips; 
  • Guarantee teen workers are paid at least the full federal minimum wage by phasing out the rarely used subminimum wage for youth workers; and 
  • End subminimum wage certificates for workers with disabilities to provide opportunities for workers with disabilities to be competitively employed and participate more fully in their communities.

This is Good for working people.

Vote result:
Failed

YEAs: 42 | NAYs: 58
Legislator Sort descending State Party Vote
Sen. Tammy Baldwin WI Democrat Yes
Sen. John Barrasso WY Republican No
Sen. Michael Bennet CO Democrat Yes
Sen. Marsha Blackburn TN Republican No
Sen. Richard Blumenthal CT Democrat Yes
Sen. Roy Blunt MO Republican No
Sen. Cory Booker NJ Democrat Yes
Sen. John Boozman AR Republican No
Sen. Mike Braun IN Republican No
Sen. Sherrod Brown OH Democrat Yes
Sen. Richard M. Burr NC Republican No
Sen. Maria Cantwell WA Democrat Yes
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito WV Republican No
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin MD Democrat Yes
Sen. Thomas R. Carper DE Democrat No
Sen. Bob Casey PA Democrat Yes
Sen. Bill Cassidy LA Republican No
Sen. Susan Collins ME Republican No
Sen. Christopher A. Coons DE Democrat No
Sen. John Cornyn TX Republican No
2021 Senate Key Votes
  1. Confirmation of Janet Yellen as the Secretary of the Department of Treasury
  2. Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act
  3. NLRB Joint Employer Congressional Review Act
  4. Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act
  5. Equality Act
  6. Protecting the Right to Organize Act - Motion to Recommit
  7. American Rescue Plan Act
  8. Protecting the Right to Organize Act
  9. For the People Act
  10. Protecting the Right to Organize Act
  11. Raise the Wage Act
  12. Families First Coronavirus Response Act
  13. Expanding Access to Capital Act
  14. CARES Act
  15. Confirmation of Nicole Berner to U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit
  16. Families First Coronavirus Response Act
  17. Paycheck Fairness Act
  18. American Rescue Plan Act
  19. For the People Act
  20. Congressional Review Act
  21. Confirmation of Katherine Tai as the United States Trade Representative
  22. Confirmation of Marty Walsh as the Secretary of the Department of Labor
  23. Confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
  24. Paycheck Fairness Act
  25. Congressional Review Act
  26. Default on America Act
  27. Confirmation of Gwynne A. Wilcox to the National Labor Relations Board
  28. Equality Act
  29. Paycheck Fairness Act
  30. For the People Act
  31. John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
  32. CHIPS and Science Act
  33. Confirmation of Jennifer Abruzzo as NLBR General Counsel
  34. Confirmation of Gwynne Wilcox as Member of the NLRB
  35. Confirmation of David Prouty as Member of the NLRB
  36. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
  37. Inflation Reduction Act
  38. DISCLOSE Act
  39. DISCLOSE Act
  40. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
  41. Build Back Better Act (BBB)
  42. CHIPS and Science Act
  43. Inflation Reduction Act
  44. CARES Act