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In a surprise bipartisan move, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced legislation Tuesday to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, starting in 2026, a significant departure from traditional conservative economic policy.
The bill, dubbed the “Higher Wages for American Workers Act,” will also include annual adjustments for inflation and has drawn early support from Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), one of the Senate’s most progressive members. CBS News first reported the collaboration.
“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.”
Aligning Unlikely Allies
The federal minimum wage, currently $7.25 an hour, has not increased since 2009, and efforts to raise it have stalled in Congress for over a decade. By aligning with Welch, Hawley is placing himself alongside progressive Democrats such as Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who have long advocated for a $15 minimum wage.
“Every hard-working American deserves a living wage that helps put a roof over their head and food on the table — $7.25 doesn’t come close,” Welch said.
The bipartisan proposal adds new momentum to the wage debate and signals an ongoing ideological shift within the Republican Party, fueled in part by former President Trump’s populist appeal to working-class voters.
A Break from GOP Tradition
Traditionally, Republican lawmakers and business groups have opposed raising the federal minimum wage, citing cost burdens on employers and potential job losses. But Hawley’s proposal appears rooted in a broader effort to reorient the party toward working-class economic concerns.
The bill is a key plank of what Hawley calls his “Pro-Worker Framework for the 119th Congress,” which also includes support for union organizing protections and earlier proposals to require large corporations to pay workers at least $15 an hour.
Earlier this year, Hawley even teamed up with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to push legislation capping credit card interest rates at 10%, further highlighting his populist approach.
Missouri Voters Already on Board
In November 2024, Missouri voters approved a ballot measure to gradually raise the state minimum wage to $15 by 2026 — mirroring the timeline in Hawley’s federal proposal. However, the GOP-controlled state legislature recently repealed the measure’s inflation adjustment provision, sparking backlash from labor groups and local Democrats.
Hawley’s new bill would reinstate an inflation-based mechanism at the federal level, ensuring wages rise with the cost of living over time — a feature advocates have long called essential for preserving purchasing power.
Federal Policy and Political Headwinds
The new proposal contrasts sharply with the Trump administration’s stance on the minimum wage. In January, President Trump rescinded a Biden-era executive order that raised the minimum wage for federal contractors to $17.75 per hour.
At his confirmation hearing, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he opposed a federal wage floor increase, arguing that wage policy should be left to state legislatures — a sentiment echoed by many in the GOP.
What Comes Next
The “Higher Wages for American Workers Act” was expected to be introduced in the Senate on Tuesday, with Hawley and Welch hoping to build a bipartisan coalition. The bill’s prospects in a divided Congress are uncertain, especially with Senate Republicans and House leadership historically opposed to minimum wage hikes.
Still, Hawley’s backing gives the proposal a uniquely conservative credibility, and its inflation-tied structure could draw support from moderate Democrats and populist Republicans alike.
Whether or not it gains traction, the bill marks a symbolic shift in the national wage debate and offers a rare moment of cross-party consensus in an increasingly polarized political environment.
