Congress moves to raise minimum wage to $15, then tie it to inflation
S. 2013 — Higher Wages for American Workers Act of 2025 · Filed by Josh Hawley (R-MO) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 10, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill raises the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour starting January 1 of the year after enactment, then automatically adjusts it each January 1 based on inflation (measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers), rounded to the nearest nickel. The bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to establish this new floor and indexing mechanism.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a straightforward increase in the federal minimum wage floor and an automatic annual adjustment tied to inflation. No riders, no carve-outs, no hidden provisions detected in the available text.
What the text implies
- Automatic indexing removes the need for future congressional action to maintain wage floor in real terms, shifting power away from legislative gridlock and toward administrative formula.
- Rounding to nearest $0.05 creates predictable wage steps; may reduce employer gaming of wage-setting but also means some years see no increase if inflation is very low.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
minimum-wage workers (direct wage increase); low-income households (increased purchasing power); consumer-facing businesses benefiting from increased demand from wage earners