Living Wage For All Act

(a) Findings. Congress finds the following:

(1) It is a national priority that work pays a living wage to all workers, and that the Federal minimum wage be aligned with the actual cost of living. The wage increases established by this Act—including the attainment of a $25 hourly wage—are steps toward that goal and shall be followed by continued adjustments to ensure that the minimum wage remains responsive to changes in wages and economic conditions over time.

(2) Based on the best available data, including wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and economic projections from the Congressional Budget Office, a minimum wage of at least $25 per hour represents a conservative baseline step toward aligning wages with the cost of living nationwide.

(3) Large, highly profitable corporations have the greatest capacity to raise wages and should therefore lead the transition to higher wage standards before smaller employers.

(4) Tying the Federal minimum wage to a fixed share of the national median hourly wage ensures that wage standards rise with the economy and prevents future erosion of purchasing power.

(5) A Federal minimum wage aligned with median wages strengthens economic security, reduces reliance on public assistance, and promotes broad-based economic growth.

(b) Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to place the Federal minimum wage on a durable path toward a living wage by ensuring that it reaches a level equal to two-thirds of the national median hourly wage, consistent with the phase-in schedule and median-wage adjustments established under this Act, as soon as economically possible, and remains indexed to that standard thereafter, while requiring large corporations to lead the transition and providing additional adjustment time for other employers.