Clay says legislation he cosponsored would provide a living wage for 33 million workers and help over 677,000 in Missouri

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. House passed H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act, cosponsored by Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri.  The bill would increase the paychecks of 33 million American workers by gradually increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 and restoring the value of work in our economy by lifting struggling workers and their families out of poverty.

“Today, the U.S. House took a stand for economic justice for American workers,” said Mr. Clay.  “I was proud to cosponsor the Raise the Wage Act because I know that raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour will restore a livable wage to millions across the nation and it will help lift over 677,000 of my fellow Missourians out of poverty.

Congressman Clay continued, “After more than a decade without an increase in the federal minimum wage, the longest stretch in U.S. history, there is no place in America today where a full-time worker earning the current federal minimum wage can afford the basics.  This bill ensures we can say confidently that ONE job can be enough for working men and women to live and support themselves.  I’m proud to join my Democratic colleagues to take this strong step to deliver on our For The People agenda and give working men and women across the country a well-deserved raise.”

The Raise The Wage Act will:

• Increase wages for up to 33 million American workers, including over 677,000 across Missouri.

• Lift 1.3 million Americans out of poverty, including 600,000 children, according to the CBO’s review of a similar proposal; and,

• Help secure fairness and equality for women, giving nearly 20 million working women a raise, and helping narrow the gender wage gap that disproportionately impacts women of color.