Congressman John Salazar Votes To Give America’s Working Families Their First Pay Raise In Almost Ten Years

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman John T. Salazar voted today to increase the nation’s minimum wage to $7.25 an hour over the next two years.  This legislation will benefit nearly 13 million American workers and their families. 

The House passed the bill this afternoon by a vote of 315 to 116.

“America’s working families have been struggling to make ends meet for far too long,” said Congressman Salazar.

“Increasing the minimum wage is important for American families who have watched their real income drop by more than a thousand dollars since 2000 while other daily costs like groceries and health care continue to rise,” said Salazar. “It is wrong to have so many Americans working full time who still can’t afford to pay their bills.”

H.R. 2 will increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over two years. Sixty days after the enactment, the bipartisan bill raises the minimum wage to $5.85; one year later it increases to $6.55; and one year after that it moves up to $7.25.

“I’m glad to see that our country will be following in Colorado’s footsteps- after voters there passed a constitution amendment in November- to give working families the support they need,” said Salazar.   

However, the federal minimum wage increase most likely will not affect Coloradans.  Last November, voters passed a minimum wage increase that went into effect January 1. The amendment raised the minimum wage increase from $5.15 an hour to $6.85 and will index the increased minimum to keep up with inflation.  Since the cost of inflation in Colorado is predicted to increase annually by 3 percent for at least the next fours years, the state’s minimum will still be higher than the federal level.

Colorado’s wage increase applies to all people working for state and federal government.