Ramirez, García, Simon, Mejia, Workers & Labor Leaders Introduce the Living Wage for All Act

Washington, DC - Today, days before the largest May Day mobilizations in years and hours before the King of England's congressional address, Congressmembers Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), Lateefah Simon (CA-12) and Analilia Mejia (NJ-11) stood with labor, civil rights, and economic justice leaders from across the country to introduce the Living Wage for All Act. The legislation is a landmark legislation that would raise the federal minimum wage to $25 per hour - the floor that working families need to meet the real cost of living in America today.

The Living Wage for All Act would raise the federal minimum wage to $25 per hour through a phased approach that reflects both the cost of living and the structure of the modern economy. The bill establishes a two-track phase-in, requiring large, highly profitable corporations to lead the transition. Large employers would reach $25 by 2031, while smaller employers would phase in more gradually, reaching $25 by 2038.

The Living Wage for All Act also ensures wages do not fall behind again by establishing a standard that keeps the minimum wage aligned with typical wages across the economy. As the economy grows and wages rise, the minimum wage would rise with it. The legislation also eliminates all subminimum wages, including for tipped workers, youth workers, and workers with disabilities - ensuring that every worker is guaranteed a full wage from their employer, with no exceptions.

"Growing up, I saw my immigrant parents and my neighbors working multiple minimum wage jobs just to survive. Today, companies are reporting record-high earnings while working people struggle to survive. Minimum wage is not a living wage. That's not right. If we want to address the affordability crisis, we must also address the wage crisis," said Congresswoman Ramirez. "Congress must stop entertaining Kings and the whims of wannabe kings and start working for working people. I am proud to stand with Congressmembers García, Simon, and Mejia and the Living Wage For All Coalition to ensure that working people have every single thing they need to thrive."

"The need for a living wage couldn't be clearer. The gap between the wealthy and everyone else keeps widening. Corporate profits are at a record high and bosses are actively cutting their workforces, undermining organizing efforts, and trying to replace labor entirely," said Congressman García. "Meanwhile, working families are struggling to pay their rent, buy groceries, and go to the doctor. It's past time that workers are paid what they deserve."

"Housing, gas, and grocery costs have all surged, yet the federal minimum wage hasn't been raised since 2009. This is unacceptable. No one working full time should be struggling to survive. We need an economy that reflects the realities of 2026, not one stuck over a decade ago. That's why I led the fight to raise New Jersey's minimum wage to $15 an hour. And it's why I'm proud to partner with Congresswoman Delia Ramirez on the Living Wage for All Act to raise the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour. This bill would transform millions of lives, ensuring working people earn a true living wage instead of being forced to choose between putting food on the table and taking care of their health. Americans deserve an economy that works for all, not just the billionaire class," said Congresswoman Mejia.

"For too long, our economy has relied on underpaying the very workers who keep this country running. That harm has fallen hardest on women, workers with disabilities, tipped workers, Black and brown workers, and working families already struggling to afford basic necessities," said Congresswoman Simon. "I am proud to join Congresswoman Ramirez, Congressman Garcia, and Congresswoman Mejia in introducing the Living Wage for All Act because a living wage is the absolute floor. We're leading this effort to ensure every worker from Oakland to Chicago to Detroit to New Jersey gets the fair wage and dignity they deserve."

"This is a worker-led movement that has grown from the groundbreaking Fight for $15 into a nationwide push for a true living wage. Across the country - from California to the Midwest to the East Coast - workers are organizing for $25 and $30 because that is what it takes to live. The polling shows this is not just popular, it is necessary. And 'for all' means exactly that: no worker left behind. This is what it looks like when politics begins to catch up to reality - and when democracy delivers real improvements in people's lives, it becomes tangible. A living wage is how we make that promise real," said Saru Jayaraman, President, One Fair Wage

The legislation is cosponsored by Reps Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (TX-35), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Christian Menefee (TX-17), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).

The legislation is endorsed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), RWDSU, NEA, AFT, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, PolicyLink, One Fair Wage, Popular Democracy, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), National Urban League (NUL), Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Alliance for a Just Society, Black Women's Roundtable, National Coalition for Black Civic Participation, Patriotic Millionaires, Our Revolution, Common Cause, Voices for Progress (V4P), National Organization for Women (NOW), Chicago Education Advocacy Cooperative, ACLU of Hawai'i, Hawai'i Public Health Institute, Trabajadores Unidos Workers United (CA), La Colmena NY, Community Labor United, Pennsylvania Policy Center, The New York Progressive Action Network, New Disabled South, Rights & Democracy Vermont, Survivors Know, The Able Baker, Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH), Keystone Progress Education Fund (PA), San Francisco Living Wage Coalition, Make the Road NV, Las Doñas, Construyamos Otro Acuerdo (Puerto Rico), La Tejedora (Puerto Rico), Fuck You I Quit, and a growing List of Small Businesses: Beauty by Teal, Elysium Aesthetics Lounge LLC, Conscious Life Resources, Undermine, Black Remote She LLC, SEPA Mujer, Inc.

"The introduction of the Living Wage for All Act is a powerful testament to the worker-led movement that is forcing a new baseline for livable wages. While the affordability crisis continues to squeeze working families, SEIU members are organizing and pushing for even higher standards across the country. We applaud Rep. Ramirez for this bold $25-an-hour proposal-an important step forward that's driven by workers demanding the money, power, and respect that they've earned," said April Verrett, President of SEIU.

"For 17 years, Washington has left the federal minimum wage at $7.25 while working people have fallen further behind. Our communities don't need lip service or slogans - they're demanding real solutions that match the reality of this economy. A living wage is about dignity, but it is also about who holds power in this country. It is tied to every other fight for civil rights - from racial justice, to voting rights, to economic opportunity. When people are denied fair wages, they are denied the ability to fully participate in our democracy. The NAACP stands with this coalition because civil rights, racial justice, and economic justice are inseparable," said Derrick Johnson, President & CEO of NAACP.

"We cannot talk about affordability without talking about what people are paid. This bill is about holding corporate America accountable and not letting billionaires, corporations like Amazon, and CEOs get away with blaming everything else for an affordability crisis they are helping drive. While prices rise and profits grow, workers are still being paid poverty wages instead of a true living wage. That has to change if we are serious about dignity and fairness in this economy," said Stuart Appelbaum, President of RWDSU.

"As the Trump administration rips more and more resources away from the classrooms and communities that need them most, all while handing more power and privilege to the wealthy and well-connected, workers across our country need this legislation now more than ever," said Kimberly Johnson Trinca, Government Relations Director for the National Education Association. "By paying educators and education support professionals a living wage, they will earn the respect, competitive wages, and support they deserve to provide their students with the skills needed to fulfill their dreams. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, the National Education Association is proud to stand up for the working class and support the Living Wage for All Act. An investment in workers is an investment in the future of public schools and our nation," said Becky Pringle, President of the National Education Association.

"A living wage is about the kind of society we want - one where one job is enough; where if you work hard you will have a pathway to a life you and you r family can live on or one of constant struggle this also hugely impacts education When educators, paraprofessionals, school staff, and the families that make up our communities are paid less than what it takes to live, it destabilizes classrooms and weakens the foundation students rely on. When educators must work 2 and 4 jobs to make ends meet, how can they focus on their students. A true living wage is essential - and long overdue - to restoring dignity for workers, supporting families, and ensuring people can fully participate in their communities and in our democracy. That is how we build the thriving, stable environments every student deserves," said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers.

"As business leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors, Voices for Progress members appreciate that The Living Wage for All Act supports employers like them who are not engaged in a race to the bottom on staff pay, and who recognize that putting money in the pockets of everyday Americans helps support local businesses. This moment reflects a growing recognition that affordability is not just about lowering prices - it's about ensuring people are paid enough to live on, so we can build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top," said Sandra Fluke, President of Voices for Progress.

"While 86% of Americans worry about the price of food, our billionaire president calls the affordability crisis a 'con job.' Wake up and smell the exploitation. There is one way to raise wages for American workers: Change the law," said Ritchie Tabachnick, Member of Patriotic Millionaires. "Jeff Bezos thanked Amazon workers after his joyride into space for a reason: They paid for it-one grossly underpaid hour at a time. Smart businesspeople know that an economy based on consumer demand requires customers with money to spend. Unfortunately for everyone, including many rich people like us, it's the opportunists and self-dealers, not the smart businesspeople, who are in the driver's seat. Buckle up, America, they'll drive us over the cliff if we don't stop them."

For the full text of the legislation, CLICK HERE.

For the live video of the press conference, CLICK HERE.

Background:

The legislation reflects a national push to match wages with the rapidly growing cost of living. Across the country, campaigns are already moving at $25 and above - with $30 proposals advancing in Alameda County and Los Angeles, $27 legislation in Illinois, $30 efforts in New York, and $25 campaigns underway in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. These are part of a coordinated, multi-front strategy backed by a coalition of more than 100 labor, community, and social justice organizations. The Living Wage for All Act brings that momentum to the federal level - translating what workers and voters are already demanding across states and cities into a national standard.

The federal minimum wage has remained stuck at $7.25 since 2009. For more than 17 years, workers have been impacted by rising costs for rent, groceries, childcare, and healthcare while their wages have remained stagnant.