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MENG-ELECTED OFFICIALS ISSUE JOINT STATEMENT ON FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS FOR FLOODING

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Grace Meng (6th District of New York)

QUEENS, NY – Today, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) and other elected officials from Queens issued the following joint statement on the Trump Administration’s decision to revoke federal money to address flooding in Queens, in particular cuts to the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The elected officials include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, State Senators John Liu and Jessica Ramos; Assembly Members Catalina Cruz, Larinda Hooks, Jessica González-Rojas and Nily Rozic; and Council Members Francisco Moya and Sandra Ung.

“The Administration’s decision to slash more than $300 million in federal funding for infrastructure projects across New York State is unacceptable and it will have devastating impacts in Queens. This includes vital funding to combat flooding, such as cutting $46 million through the Kissena Corridor Cloudburst Hub and $47 million for the Corona East Cloudburst Hub. We all remember how Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc on our borough. Lives were lost, and homes and businesses sustained extensive damage. We fought hard for these needed funds and without the money, more lives and property will be put at risk. We should be better prepared against the threat of future flooding and mitigate the effects of severe storms and heavy rainfall which we continue to experience year after year. But slashing this funding will leave us less prepared and susceptible to more devastation. We urge the administration to immediately abandon this reckless decision.”

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MENG: U.S. ARMY VETERAN FROM QUEENS UNJUSTLY FIRED FROM NYC VETERANS HOSPITAL GETS JOB BACK

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Grace Meng (6th District of New York)

Congresswoman’s constituent, Luke Graziani, has been rehired after he was her guest at the President’s address to Congress last month to stand against mass terminations of federal employees; Graziani was among these tens of thousands of laid off workers

QUEENS, NY – U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) announced today that Luke Graziani, the veteran from Woodside, Queens who was unjustly fired from his job at a New York City veterans hospital, has been reinstated to his position, and is back at work at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx.

Graziani, 45, was rehired after Meng brought him as her guest to President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress last month (on March 4) to stand against the ongoing mass firings of federal employees and veterans. He was among these tens of thousands of federal workers that the new administration has unfairly terminated across numerous federal agencies over the past several weeks. 

Graziani is a 20-year U.S. Army veteran who is a public affairs officer at the hospital. He was abruptly laid off in February and returned to work nearly two weeks ago. Meng had intervened with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on his behalf urging the agency to reinstate him, and he was rehired after a federal judge last month ordered the Department, and other federal agencies, to reinstate probationary workers who were terminated.

Prior to working at the medical center, Graziani served two tours in Iraq and two tours in Afghanistan. 

“I’m glad the Administration has been forced to walk back some of its indiscriminate firings, but people like Luke should have never been terminated,” said Congresswoman Meng. “I am pleased that his attending the President’s speech as my guest sent a powerful message that these mass layoffs of federal workers and veterans is unacceptable. We have not forgotten about the many employees who continue to be impacted, and I renew my call for them to be brought back to the federal workforce.”

“After the trauma of being terminated through a thoughtless and robotic email, returning to my role at the VA feels like justice has been restored,” said Graziani. “I’m thankful to Congresswoman Meng for giving me space to stand beside her in bringing national attention to these indiscriminate firings. While I’m back doing the work I love—supporting fellow veterans—I remain concerned for dedicated public servants still fighting to regain their positions and for the looming threat of future force reductions. This experience has, if nothing else, reinforced my belief in the importance of standing up for what’s right.” 

Graziani is the father of four children and his Woodside home is located in Meng’s congressional district.

In Congress, Meng has worked to assist veterans by sponsoring and supporting legislation, securing funding and spearheading local initiatives.         

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MENG HAILS NASA ASTRONAUT – WHO RECENTLY VISITED QUEENS – FOR ARRIVING AT INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Grace Meng (6th District of New York)

QUEENS, NY – Today, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) hailed NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim – who recently visited Queens – for arrivingat the International Space Station this morning in his first spaceflight.  

In October 2022, Meng brought Kim to the borough where he met and spoke with local students at Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows and the Queens College School for Math, Science and Technology in Flushing. Meng and Kim also hosted a luncheon with local Korean American leaders in Flushing.

During his trip to Queens, Meng introduced him to the students, and Kim talked about becoming an astronaut, space exploration, overcoming challenges and his remarkable life and career.  

“I remember seeing the excitement from Queens students when Jonny Kim came to their school and how they were inspired by his story,” said Meng. “I’m thrilled to now see him arriving in space and I wish him all the best in this important mission.”

Kim arrived at the International Space Station with two Russian cosmonauts and is scheduled to stay aboard the orbital outpost for eight months. During the mission, he will conduct scientific research in technology development, Earth science, biology, human research and more. 

A child of South Korean immigrants, Kim was selected by NASA in 2017 after serving as a U.S. Navy SEAL, receiving the Silver Star and Bronze Star and earning a medical degree from Harvard Medical School. 

Meng is the top Democrat on the House subcommittee that funds NASA and is proud to have secured money for the space agency to fund missions like these.    

Kim’s full bio can be viewed here. 

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MENG MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUPPORT NASA INNOVATION

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Grace Meng (6th District of New York)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, wrote a letter to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Acting Administrator Janet Petro making her own recommendations on how the agency can improve efficiency, support the dedicated employees, and strengthen the United States’ leadership in space exploration.

Recently, Acting Administrator Petro called on NASA employees to submit suggestions to senior leadership on how the agency can improve efficiency and support the President’s “Workforce Optimization Initiative”, including methods to streamline processes, create new and better ways of working, and focus limited resources on future mission success.

In her letter, Rep. Meng wrote, “I understand you recently invited NASA employees to share ideas to improve the agency’s efficiency. I applaud this invitation, and I hope you will pay close attention to these ideas. As you know, however, many of these employees find themselves in fear of losing their jobs and of adverse changes to the mission and capabilities of NASA. In acknowledgment of our shared support for NASA and its outstanding employees, and in support of a strong NASA that leads the world in science and human space exploration, I offer to you several ideas of my own that can improve NASA and America’s space industry and the 373,000 jobs it provides.”

Meng’s suggestions are:

  1. Work with the White House and others in this Administration to end the self-destructive Trump tariff tax before it damages the commercial space industry and the Artemis program.
  2. Do not cut scientific research in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request.
  3. Do not abandon NASA’s commitment to STEM education.
  4. Make public NASA’s ethics arrangements with Elon Musk and his staff.

Meng serves as Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS), which oversees NASA. Each year, the agency receives more than $20 billion in federal funding. NASA leads the study of Earth science, the solar system, and the larger universe, conducting cutting-edge research to advance science and technology and improve the lives of people all over the world.

A copy of the letter can be viewed here.

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Velázquez, Pressley, and Brown Call on Trump Admin to Finalize Formaldehyde Ban in Hair Products

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nydia M Velázquez (D-NY)

WASHINGTON – Today, Reps. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Shontel Brown (D-OH) sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting answers on the continued delay in implementing a ban on formaldehyde in hair products.

 

The FDA issued the proposed rule in October 2023 following a March letter from Reps. Pressley and Brown calling for an investigation into the health risks posed by chemical hair straighteners. The agency set an April 2024 implementation timeline but missed its own deadline. Although the proposed rule was added to the OMB Unified Agenda last fall, the target action date of March 2025 has passed with no further progress.

 

“Since Fall 2024, there has been no further movement or concrete next steps regarding the implementation of the ban” wrote the lawmakers.

 

Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen found in hair relaxers, keratin treatments, and other chemical straighteners. Its use has been linked to cancer, respiratory illness, and adverse reproductive outcomes. The letter notes that women of color are disproportionately at risk.

“Of particular concern is the heightened health risk to Black women, who are more likely to receive or provide formaldehyde-based hair treatments, which has a disparate impact on both workers and their customers,” the lawmakers continued.

 

The letter follows previous outreach from Reps. Velázquez, Pressley, and Brown in August 2024, when they again urged the FDA to finalize the proposed rule.

 

In the letter, the lawmakers call on the FDA to finalize the proposed rule and ask for answers to the following questions:

 

  • Given the delay, what steps have been taken since our last inquiry to advance the formaldehyde ban?
  • Are there any current or upcoming changes to federal regulations that would impact the finalization of the proposed rule?
  • How is the FDA prioritizing this issue relative to other regulatory efforts? Are there specific challenges delaying the finalization of the rule?
  • Beyond formaldehyde, does the FDA plan to examine other hazardous chemicals commonly found in personal care products, particularly those disproportionately affecting women and communities of color? If so, what substances are under consideration?

 

“It is essential to continue to highlight the gravity of formaldehyde exposure, as evidenced by both epidemiological data and laboratory research,” the letter concludes. “Ensuring that regulatory actions align with the best interests of public health remains the goal and we encourage promptly finalizing a proposed rule.”

 

For a full copy of the letter, click here.

 

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Velázquez and Ramirez Press Rubio for Answers on Human Rights Abuses at El Salvador Mega-Prison

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nydia M Velázquez (D-NY)

WASHINGTON– Today, Congresswomen Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL) led 21 House Democrats in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding answers and accountability for the transfer of individuals from U.S. custody to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador, a prison widely condemned for human rights abuses.
 
“We write to you with the utmost urgency and grave concern regarding the forced transfer of individuals from United States custody to a state of imprisonment in El Salvador, where they face a well-documented and imminent risk of torture, abuse, and other egregious human rights violations at CECOT,” the lawmakers wrote. “These transfers not only violate fundamental principles of international law, but they also violate U.S. laws and our nation’s commitment to human rights.”
 
The letter cites serious concerns about violations of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 and the Convention Against Torture, which prohibit the U.S. from sending individuals to countries where they face a real risk of torture or inhumane treatment.
 
Velázquez and Ramirez point to extreme overcrowding, the absence of due process, and the systematic use of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment inside CECOT, as reported by human rights organizations and journalists.
 
They also directly challenge Secretary Rubio’s recent claim that El Salvador complies with all the international requirements for imprisonment. The letter demands written proof from El Salvador that CECOT meets international human rights standards and calls for an immediate halt to additional transfers.
 
The letter includes a series of detailed questions for the Department, including whether the U.S. has paid El Salvador to imprison people, what legal authority supports such actions, what safeguards exist for those detained in error, and whether the Office of the Legal Adviser reviewed the legality of the transfers.
 
“The United States has a solemn legal and moral duty to uphold international law and the U.S. Constitution,” the lawmakers continued. “Anything less would constitute an unconscionable abdication of our nation’s commitment to human rights and the rule of law.”
 
In addition to Velázquez and Ramirez, the letter was also signed by Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), John Garamendi (D-CA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Greg Casar (D-TX), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Robert Garcia (D-CA), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Lori Trahan (D-MA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ).
 
For a full copy of the letter, click here.
 

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Kelly backs House budget resolution, paves way for border security funding, lower taxes

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), Chairman of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Tax, voted in favor of the House budget resolution, which formally establishes the budgetary framework for fiscal year 2025 and sets appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026-2036.

The resolution serves as a framework for House Republicans to advance President Trump’s legislative priorities, including border funding, energy policy, and tax cuts.

“The American people made it clear in November: they want Congress to secure all of our nation’s borders, rein in wasteful spending, and expand American energy production. This budget resolution does just that,” Rep. Kelly said. “2025 is the Super Bowl of Tax. This resolution aims to deliver on the entirety of President Trump’s agenda and fulfill our commitment to the American people.”

Major portions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are set to expire in 2025. In April 2024, Rep. Kelly and Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) announced the formation of ten Committee Tax Teams, comprised of Ways and Means Republican members, to address key tax provisions from the 2017 Trump tax cuts that are set to expire in 2025 and to identify legislative solutions that will continue to help families, workers, and small businesses. This included a historic Ways & Means field hearing in Erie in May 2024.

You can learn more about Rep. Kelly’s recent work here.

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Democrats Demand McMahon Reverse Abrupt Policy Change Halting Funding for Schools Nationwide

Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

Headline: Democrats Demand McMahon Reverse Abrupt Policy Change Halting Funding for Schools Nationwide

Top authorizers and appropriators press Trump’s Department of Education for details about its’ abrupt halt of funding for state governments and school districts that adds a bureaucratic hurdle to reimbursement and will harm student recovery following the pandemic.

As originally released by the Committee on Education and Workforce, Democrats

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, led a letter to Secretary Linda McMahon demanding a reversal of a new policy the Department of Education announced recently that suddenly upended departmental policy and imposed new red tape on states, which will prevent them from accessing pandemic relief funds they are counting on to support students’ learning.

In their letter, the lawmakers press McMahon for immediate reversal of the Department’s revision to its longstanding liquidation extension policy for COVID-19 education recovery funding—warning that the Department’s change, along with the myriad other harmful actions taken at ED recently, seriously jeopardizes students’ learning and growth.

“We write to request the immediate reversal of the Department of Education’s recent March 28, 2025, action to revise the liquidation extension policy for COVID-19 relief funds,”write the lawmakers. “Just over a month ago, the Department announced a policy change to the longstanding extension policy that imposed an additional step for processing of extension reimbursements. … However, on March 28, 2025, with many state extension requests having been approved more than six months ago, the Department suddenly announced on March 28 that ‘the Department is modifying the liquidation period to end on March 28, 2025,’ the very same day as the announcement.”

“In short,”the lawmakers state, “the Department changed the spending rules it affirmed just one month ago, without providing any notice, and imposing more federal red tape.”

The lawmakers continue: “This abrupt and chaotic revision of policy is not helpful to students whose states, school districts, or institutions of higher education are uncertain about the Department’s commitments to implementing federal funding designed to support students. The March 28th decision is an imposition of an unauthorized layer of bureaucratic red tape on the expenditure of resources passed by Congress to support learning recovery for our nation’s students.”

The lawmakers note that the abrupt change—coupled with the mass firings at ED—seriously threaten the ability of schools to support students’ learning: “When combined with the massive reduction in force announced earlier this month, the Department jeopardizes an estimated $4 billion from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 in nearly all of our states and outlying areas and roughly 1,000 school districts nationwide. This action is particularly harmful to rural school districts that faced the greatest disruptions during the authorized program period. This will also have a disproportionate impact on $800 million reserved for identification and support for students experiencing homelessness, which was implemented slowly in many states. The March 28th decision of the Department improperly imposes its will on state and local budget decisions in a manner not contemplated by Congress.”

The lawmakers note their alarm about the Department’s lack of recognition of the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students, with the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores showing national scores are below pre-pandemic levels in all grades and subjects. “We are alarmed by your lack of a recognition of the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our nation’s students,” write the lawmakers. “Years after the COVID-19 pandemic, our schools and communities still have much work to do to help students recover and the Department’s termination of the remaining resources Congress passed for that purpose will only serve to delay and undermine our students’ recovery.”

They also note Congress provided flexibility when providing the funding to ensure it best supports communities across the country: “Congress intended the Secretary to support states and districts in their use of the flexibility under the law to ensure the unique needs of their communities were met and to implement evidence-based learning loss interventions. The Department is now trying to change the spending rules and impose an administrative hurdle by stating ‘the Department will consider an extension to your liquidation period on an individual project-specific basis.’…We are astonished by the amount of hypocrisy here from an administration that has repeatedly said it wants to return education to the states, including your recent statement that ‘Education is fundamentally a state responsibility. Instead of filtering resources through layers of federal red tape, we will empower states…’ Now, it appears the Department is turning its back on states by arbitrarily imposing more federal red tape.”

The lawmakers also called out that while the Trump administration works to cut off this funding for schools, it is pushing to pass new tax cuts for billionaires: “Let’s be very clear: The abrupt change in the liquidation extension policy is yet another way this administration is seeking to strip educational opportunities for students in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations. President Trump and Congressional Republicans are intent in claiming any savings they can in the federal budget that they intend to use to pay for their tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations.”

“We believe there is a better way,” they conclude.“We urge you to immediately rescind your March 28 revision to the longstanding liquidation extension policy. Further, we believe you should work with us to start properly executing our federal education laws as Congress intended.”

In addition to Representatives Scott and DeLauro, the letter was signed by Alma Adams (D, NC-12), Donald Beyer (D, VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (D, OR-01), Julia Brownley (D, CA-26), Shontel Brown (D, OH-11), André Carson (D, IN-07), Greg Casar (D, TX-35), Sean Casten (D, IL-06), Joaquin Castro (D, TX-20), Steve Cohen (D, TN-09), Joe Courtney (D, CT-02), Danny Davis (D, IL-07), Diana DeGette (D, CO-01), Chris Deluzio (D, PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-10), Sarah Elfreth (D, MD-03), Veronica Escobar (D, TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (D, NY-13), Dwight Evans (D, PA-03), Shomari Figures (D, AL-02), Jesús García (D, IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (D, TX-29), Vicente Gonzalez (D, TX-34), Jahana Hayes (D, CT-05), Chrissy Houlahan (D, PA-06), Jonathan Jackson (D, IL-01), Hank Johnson (D, GA-04), Robin Kelly (D, IL-02), Timothy Kennedy (D, NY-26), John Larson (D, CT-01), Summer Lee (D, PA-12), Lucy McBath (D, GA-06), Sarah McBride (D, DE-01), Jennifer McClellan (D, VA-04), Betty McCollum (D, MN-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D, MI-08), Jim McGovern (D, MA-02), LaMonica McIver (D, NJ-10), Donald Norcross (D, NJ-01), Johnny Olszewski (D, MD-02), Chellie Pingree (D, ME-01), Mark Pocan (D, MI-02), Andrea Salinas (D, OR-06), Linda Sánchez (D, CA-38), Terri Sewell (D, AL-07), Mikie Sherrill (D, NJ-11), Lateefah Simon (D, CA-12), Darren Soto (D, FL-09), Haley Stevens (D, MI-11), Mark Takano (D, CA-39), Dina Titus (D, NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (D, MI-12), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D, NY-12), Frederica Wilson (D, FL-24), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D, DC-01) in the House.

In addition to Senators Murray, Sanders, and Baldwin, the letter was signed by Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-MO), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in the Senate.

To read the full text of the letter, click here. 

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Education Leaders Demand Answers on Trump’s Attempts to Dismantle Museum and Library Services

Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

Headline: Education Leaders Demand Answers on Trump’s Attempts to Dismantle Museum and Library Services

As originally released by the Committee on Education and Workforce, Democrats

WASHINGTON – House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Ranking Member Alma S. Adams (NC-12) are demanding answers from Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS) Acting Chair Keith Sonderling following President Trump’s executive order to unilaterally eliminate the agency. 

“We write seeking document and information from the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS) about its response to recent actions by President Trump dismantle the agency, actions which threaten the ability of libraries and museums across the country to serve their communities,”wrote the Members.  “Libraries provide not only books and reference materials but serve as a natural hub for a multitude of community services including early and adult literacy programs, workforce development opportunities, broadband and technology access, and resources for individuals with disabilities. 

The Members continued, “IMLS has a legal responsibility to continue administering all grants authorized and appropriated by Congress, and we urge you to take this responsibility seriously, and others mandated under MLSA.” 

On Friday, March 14, President Trump issued Executive Order 14238 (EO), “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.” This EO purportedly eliminated IMLS within the bounds of the law.  However, subsequent actions taken by IMLS have been inconsistent with the EO. 

As the sole federal agency supporting museum and library services, the letter follows reports of IMLS grants canceled without cause and the subsequent quiet placement of employees on administrative leave with device access revoked.  

To read the full letter, click here.

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Labor Leaders Introduce Bill to Raise Minimum Wage

Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

Headline: Labor Leaders Introduce Bill to Raise Minimum Wage

The Raise the Wage Act of 2025 would gradually raise the minimum wage to $17 by 2030 and give roughly 22 million Americans a long-overdue raise.

As originally released by the Committee on Education and Workforce, Democrats

WASHINGTON – Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, introduced the Raise the Wage Act of 2025.  According to the Economic Policy Institute, the Raise the Wage Act would gradually raise the minimum wage to $17 by 2030 and give roughly 22 million Americans a long-overdue raise.

After more than fifteen years with no increase in the federal minimum wage—the longest period in U.S. history—millions of our nation’s workers are working full-time jobs but are still struggling to make ends meet.  The Raise the Wage Act is good for workers, good for business, and good for the economy.  When we put money in the pockets of workers, they will spend that money at local businesses. 

“No person working full-time in America should be living in poverty.  The Raise the Wage Act will increase the pay and standard of living for nearly 22 million workers across this country.  Raising the minimum wage is good for workers, good for business, and good for the economy.  When we put money in the pockets of American workers, they will spend that money in their communities,”said Scott.

“The $7.25 an hour minimum wage is a starvation wage. It must be raised to a living wage – at least $17 an hour,” Sanders said. “In the year 2025, a job should lift you out of poverty, not keep you in it. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, we can no longer tolerate millions of workers trying to survive on just $10 or $12 an hour. Congress can no longer ignore the needs of the working class of this country. The time to act is now,”said Sanders.

TheRaise the Wage Act of 2025would:

  • Gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $17 by 2030.
  • Index future increases in the federal minimum wage to median wage growth to ensure the value of minimum wage does not once again erode over time.
  • Guarantee tipped workers are paid at least the full federal minimum wage by phasing out the subminimum wage for tipped workers, which will ensure decent, consistent pay without eliminating tips.
  • Guarantee teen workers are paid at least the full federal minimum wage by phasing out the rarely used subminimum wage for youth workers.
  • End subminimum wage certificates for workers with disabilities to provide opportunities for workers with disabilities to be competitively employed and participate more fully in their communities.

The Raise the Wage Act of 2025 has 142 original House co-sponsors, including Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Greg Casar (TX-35), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Alma S. Adams (NC-12), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-00), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Donald S. Beyer (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Shontel M. Brown (OH-11), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Salud O. Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Sean Casten (IL-06), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), James E. Clyburn (SC-06), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Angie Craig (MN-02), Jason Crow (CO-06), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03), Suzan K. DelBene (WA-01), Christopher R. Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Bill Foster (IL-11), Valerie P. Foushee (NC-04), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Al Green (TX-09),  Steven Horsford (NV-04), Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Val T. Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Bill Keating (MA-09), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Timothy M. Kennedy (NY-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), John W. Mannion (NY-22), Doris O. Matsui (CA-07), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Sarah McBride (DE-At Large), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Joseph D. Morelle (NY-25), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Frank J. Mrvan (IN-01), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19),Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Patrick Ryan (NY-18), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Bradley Scott Schneider (IL-10), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Darren Soto (FL-09), Melanie A. Stansbury (NM-01), Haley M. Stevens (MI-11), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Thomas R. Suozzi (NY-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

The Raise the Wage Act of 2025 has been endorsed by 85 organizations including, AFL-CIO, American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), American Council of the Blind, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Friends Service Committee, American Public Health Association, Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), Autistic People of Color Fund, Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network, Care in Action, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR), Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues, Coalition on Human Needs, Communications Workers of America (CWA), Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd U.S. Provinces, the Council for Global Equality, Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), Demos, Economic Policy Institute (EPI), Equal Pay Today, Family Values @ Work, Feminist Majority Foundation, First Focus Campaign for Children, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), The General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church, Gig Workers Rising, Indivisible, Institute for Policy Studies’ Poverty Project, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), Justice for Migrant Women, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Legal Momentum, Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers Union, MomsRising, Movement Advancement Project (MAP), National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National Association of Social Workers, National Black Worker Center, National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ), National Coalition for the Homeless, National Council of Jewish Women, National Disability Institute, National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA),  National Education Association (NEA), National Employment Law Project (NELP), National Employment Lawyers Association, National Immigration Law Center (NILC), The National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, New Disabled South, Oasis Legal Services, One Fair Wage, Oxfam America, Patriotic Millionaires, People Power United, Popular Democracy in Action, Pride at Work AFL-CIO, Public Advocacy for Kids, Public Justice Center, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Southern Poverty Law Center, Union for Reform Judaism, UNITE HERE, United Autoworkers (UAW), United Church of Christ, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), United for Respect, United Steelworkers (USW), Voices for Progress,  Worker Justice Center of New York, Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group, Working Partnerships USA, Workplace Fairness, Workplace Justice Lab, and Worksafe.

To read the bill text for the Raise the Wage Act of 2025, click here.

To read the fact sheet on the Raise the Wage Act of 2025, click here.

To read the section-by-section Raise the Wage Act of 2025, click here.

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