WASHINGTON, DC (LOOTPRESS) – This week, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) joined Senators Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) to introduce the Higher Wages for American Workers Act, legislation that would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $11 and mandate E-Verify to ensure the wage increase only goes to legal workers. The bill would also index future minimum wage increases to inflation and includes a slower phase-in for small businesses. Senator Capito first helped introduced the bill in 2021.
“The Higher Wages for American Workers Act successfully balances the needs of employers with opportunities for employees, which is critical,” Senator Capito said. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation, which demonstrates that long-term solutions can be put forth and debated outside of a partisan process.”
BACKGROUND:
Minimum Wage Increase:
- Gradually raises the federal minimum wage to $11 over four years, and then indexes it to inflation every two years moving forward.
- Creates a slower phase-in for small businesses with fewer than 20 employees.
Mandatory E-Verify:
- Mandates E-Verify for all employers, phasing in implementation over 18 months to allow small businesses additional time to comply.
- Raises civil and criminal penalties on employers that hire unauthorized aliens and/or violate I-9 paperwork requirements.
- Prevents fraud by requiring workers 18 and older to provide a photo ID to their employer for verification, which will be cross-referenced if a photo is available through the E-Verify system.
Full text of the legislation can be found here.
