Increase the federal minimum wage to $17 by 2028, and renew the national minimum wage to keep pace with inflation
support raising the federal minimum wage to $17 by 2028 and indexing it to inflation
Occurrences
Evidence
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
GovInfo lists H.R. 2743, the Raise the Wage Act of 2025, as introduced April 8, 2025, referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce, and names Robert Menendez (NJ) among the cosponsors. The bill text sets the federal minimum wage at $17.00 an hour beginning 5 years after the effective date and provides annual adjustments based on median hourly wage growth thereafter.
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The introduced House bill text for H.R. 4889 lists Mr. Menendez among the members for whom Rep. Scott introduced the Raise the Wage Act of 2023. The bill would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to raise the federal minimum wage in steps to $17.00 an hour beginning 5 years after the effective date, followed by annual Secretary of Labor adjustments based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics median hourly wage.
Assessments
The pledge was to support raising the federal minimum wage to $17 by 2028 and indexing it to inflation, not necessarily to secure enactment. Menendez took concrete official action in federal office by cosponsoring Raise the Wage Act vehicles in the 118th and 119th Congresses that substantially match the promised policy, including a $17 wage target and post-target wage indexing. Because this support occurred during his House service, it counts as delivered in the same term even though the bills were not enacted.