Wages

Raise the Wage Act

Passed the House and sat on the Senate calendar until the Congress ended.

  • BillH.R. 582
  • Congress116th Congress, 2019 to 2021
  • SponsorRobert C. “Bobby” Scott (Democrat, VA)
  • IntroducedJanuary 16, 2019
  • Cause of deathPassed one chamber
  • Died inthe Senate

What it would have done

Raised the federal minimum wage in steps from $7.25 to $15 an hour, then indexed it to median wage growth.

The path to law

One chamber passed it. The other chamber’s leadership never brought it to the floor, and it expired when the Congress ended.

IntroducedCommitteeFirst chamberSecond chamberPresidentLawdied here

The votes

House, July 18, 2019. On passage (Roll no. 496).

231 yea, 199 nay, out of 435 seatsPassed

Worth knowing

CBO estimated the $15 minimum would raise pay for 17 million workers and lift 1.3 million people out of poverty, while costing 1.3 million jobs in its median estimate (likely range: about zero to 3.7 million).

The record

Last verified November 10, 2026.