Civil and Human Rights Coalition Lauds Effort to Support Working Families by Raising Federal Minimum Wage to $15 by 2024

WASHINGTON— Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement following the announcement of the Raise the Wage Act of 2017 by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.). The bill incrementally raises the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024:

“It is unconscionable that our federal minimum wage is so low that it denies working people who put in an honest day’s work the ability to sustain themselves and their families. The ‘Fight for 15’ movement has been leading the way to gain state minimum wage increases in cities and states across the nation, helping to lift people out of poverty, particularly women, African Americans, Latinos, and other historically underserved populations.

“We are proud to support the Raise the Wage Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage in eight steps to $15 an hour by 2024, and gradually eliminate the tipped minimum wage, which is long overdue. According to the Economic Policy Institute, raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour will lift pay for nearly one-third of American workers, some 41.5 million people. The Raise the Wage Act is an important step in redressing the growing inequality in our nation.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.