As Democrats plan to take control of the House of Representatives, one Virginia congressman is poised to control a key committee. And he’s already making plans for what he wants to do in that position.
Congressman Bobby Scott of Hampton Roads is ready to take up the Fight for Fifteen. That’s the effort to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour. And now that Scott is poised to become the new chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, he’ll be in a key position to get it to the floor of the House.
“Today’s low-wage workers earn less per hour than adjusted for inflation than their counterparts did 50 years ago. But productivity, what they’ve actually earned over that period of time, has actually doubled.”
And it’s not just a priority for Congressman Scott. Before the election, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said it’s not right that people who play by the rules and work hard can still live below the poverty line.
"That’s just not right, so let’s all join the fight for 15. And I’ll tell you one thing for sure: If we win the election, in the first 100 hours, we will pass a $15 minimum wage.”
The move would have particular importance here in Virginia, which is one of 21 states that does not have a state minimum wage higher than the federal minimum wage.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
