WASHINGTON –U.S. Representatives Patrick E. Murphy (FL-18) and Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, along with 160 members of Congress in the House of Representatives, introduced the Raise the Wage Act, legislation that would increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $12.00 per hour. U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

“A single parent working 40 to 60 hours per week who earns minimum wage shouldn’t be forced to live in poverty,” said Rep. Murphy. “Raising the federal minimum wage would empower the middle class, giving 38 million Americans, including nearly 2.5 million Floridians, a much-needed pay raise. I join the large coalition of members of Congress and groups across the country in calling on Congress to act on this legislation.”

Under the Raise the Wage Act, beginning January 2016, or three months after the date of enactment, the federal minimum wage would increase by $0.75 to $8.00 per hour, followed by $1.00 per hour increases every year until it reaches $12.00. Starting in 2021, the federal minimum wage would keep pace with rising wages overall through automatic annual increases to keep the ratio of the minimum wage constant with the median wage. The bill, introduced in both the House and Senate, would also gradually eliminate the subminimum tipped wage system, which has been frozen since 1991 at $2.31 per hour.

The legislation is supported by 130 organizations across the country.