President Donald Trump on Wednesday signaled he is undecided about a new bipartisan proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, saying he needs to review the legislation and discuss it with its lead Republican sponsor, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri.
“I haven’t seen it. I’d have to speak to Josh. He’s a very good friend of mine,” Trump told reporters from the Oval Office. “That’s interesting that Josh did that. You have to think about that one.”
The proposal, introduced last week by Hawley and Sen. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, is titled the Higher Wages for American Workers Act. If enacted, it would raise the federal minimum wage — currently $7.25 an hour — to $15.00, more than doubling the current rate.
Hawley has cast the bill as a key step in what he describes as a “working-class agenda,” aimed at strengthening the economic position of everyday Americans. He told NBC News that if Republicans are going to call themselves the party of working people, “we have to do something for working people. And working people haven’t gotten a raise in years. So they need a raise.”
Trump acknowledged that opinions on the wage increase are split.
“Some people agree with it. Some people don’t,” he said. “You know, some people say it really turns away business — restaurants, clothes — and a lot of things happen. Other people agree. I’d have to speak to Josh — he’s a good guy.”
Hawley’s home state of Missouri is among the 31 U.S. states that already require a higher minimum wage than the federal standard. His support for the measure has surprised some in Washington, though it fits with his recent record of championing populist economic policies. In February, Hawley teamed up with progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders to propose capping credit card interest rates at 10%.
He also broke with many of his GOP colleagues earlier this week by voting against a cryptocurrency regulation bill, arguing it favored large financial institutions over individual investors.
With input from Fox News.
