Advocate argues minimum wage needs to be $25 federally as affordability crushes Americans
One Fair Wage President Saru Jayaraman introduced the Living Wage for All Act as part of a national coalition of more than 100 organizations pushing for a federal $25 minimum wage.
The federal government is facing renewed pressure to mandate a $25-an-hour minimum wage across the country as the "affordability crisis" continues to squeeze American families.
"I think there's an increasing cry of frustration, outrage, and disgust. People feel they have to work two and three jobs to make ends meet," One Fair Wage President Saru Jayaraman told Fox News Digital. "They never see their loved ones. They don't even have a life. This is a bipartisan issue among voters."
One Fair Wage is part of a national coalition of more than 100 organizations, including teachers unions and progressive lawmakers, currently pushing for the $25 federal minimum wage floor. The current federal minimum wage has sat at $7.25 since 2009.
Rep. Analilia Mejia, D-N.J., introduced the Living Wage for All Act that would raise the federal minimum wage to $25/hour. (Heather Khalifa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
One of the primary sponsors of the push is Rep. Analilia Mejia, D-N.J., who last week introduced the Living Wage for All Act. Mejia, a progressive backed by liberal firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), is known for touting far-left views such as Medicare-for-All, a wealth tax and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Mejia, a founding member of the Living Wage for All coalition, is using the bill as her first major legislative push since winning a special election for New Jersey's 11th District in a landslide last month.
One Fair Wage told Fox News Digital that voters across the political spectrum are mobilized by the issue.
"We're seeing so many MAGA voters excited about a $25 minimum wage," Jayaraman said. "We see people on all spectrum — and frankly the vast majority who are not politically affiliated at all — saying, ‘I don't care about Republicans, Democrats or Independents; what I care about is can I feed my family and who's going to deliver for me?’"
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High-profile Democrats like Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani campaigned on affordability before winning their elections. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The push comes as voters in the 2024 and 2025 election cycles prioritized the cost of living. Jayaraman noted that while Donald Trump’s 2024 victory was fueled by promises to make life more affordable, 2025 saw the rise of progressives like Zohran Mamdani, who won the New York City mayoral race on an affordability platform.
The movement is already seeing localized success. In March, One Fair Wage launched a ballot initiative in Oakland, California, to raise the minimum wage there to $30 an hour, in partnership with the United Auto Workers (UAW). Under that proposal, large businesses with over 100 employees and $1 billion in annual revenue would have until 2030 to reach the $30 mark if passed.
Similar "30 by '30" mandates have been proposed or signed in Los Angeles by Mayor Karen Bass and are currently being weighed by the New York City Council.
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While proponents argue the wage hike is a necessity, critics warn of severe economic fallout. The House recently addressed the affordability crisis through different means, passing the Housing for the 21st Century Act in a rare 390-9 bipartisan vote last February to increase the supply of affordable housing.
Rebekah Paxton, research director of the conservative Employment Policies Institute (EPI), warned that a $25 federal mandate could be a "job killer."
"A federal $25 an hour mandate is reckless and ignores scores of economic studies that show drastic wage hikes kill jobs," Paxton told Fox News Digital. "Estimates for lower federal wage hikes show up to 1.2 million lost jobs. This proposal would supersize those layoffs and create negative economic impacts for American businesses."
A minimum wage mandate has gone as high as $30 in Los Angeles through a bill signed by LA Mayor Karen Bass, though, planned as a phase-in process with incremental growth until 2030. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
