Senator Chris Murphy Introduces Bill to Raise Federal Minimum Wage to $25 an Hour by 2039

Senator Chris Murphy introduced the Living Wage for All Act on Sunday during an appearance on NBC News' Meet the Press, Newsweek reported. The bill would raise the federal minimum wage from its current $7.25 level, unchanged since 2009, to $25 an hour. Under the proposal, the wage would increase to $12 an hour in the first year after enactment.

Large corporate employers would reach the $25 floor by 2032, while smaller businesses would have until 2039. After that point the wage would be indexed annually to two-thirds of the national median wage. No U.S.

State currently sets a $25 minimum wage. Washington state maintains the highest state floor at approximately $17 per hour. Murphy described the measure as a unifying issue that could attract voters across party lines.

He noted polling that showed both Democrats and Republicans favoring levels near $26 or $27 an hour. The senator linked the proposal to recent cost-of-living increases. Data cited in the reporting showed U.S.

Home prices up 81 percent and rents up 54 percent since 2017, with the median home price reaching about $412,500 in 2024. An annual income of roughly $126,700 would be needed to afford that median home, according to Habitat for Humanity. Food costs rose 3.2 percent in 2025, the U.S.

Department of Agriculture reported, while overall inflation stood at an annual rate of about 4.2 percent. Murphy said the legislation targets working-class voters who supported President Donald Trump in the last election. He argued that many such voters view the economy as rigged and could be drawn to Democrats focused on wage growth and limits on corporate power.