Utah Rep. Ben McAdams Votes Against Bill That Increases Minimum Wage
Jul 19, 2019, 10:38 AM
Rep. Ben McAdams was concerned about a rule that could've delayed stimulus checks for seniors. (FILE PHOTO)
(FILE PHOTO)
WASHINGTON D.C. — Utah Congressman Ben McAdams is among five other Democrats who voted against H.R. 582 on Thursday.
The “Raise the Wage” Act amends the Fair Labor Standards Act and increases the federal minimum wage for tipped and newly-hired employees who are less than 20 years old. Tipped employees would see a rise in hourly compensation from $2.13 to $15.
In a statement, Congressman McAdams said he supports increasing the federal minimum wage, but, he doesn’t support the one-size-fits-all approach that is “Raise the Wage.”
“The federal minimum wage should be increased, but a solution that works in New York City or Los Angeles doesn’t work for Utah. We do need the guardrail of a higher minimum wage that helps Utah employees and protects jobs, however, this legislation doesn’t strike the right balance for Utah,” said McAdams.
McAdams said he supports an alternative measure to raise the minimum wage. But he prefers a bill that would calculate a new federal wage floor based on the regional cost of living and purchasing power.
The bill passed on a 231-199 vote, but will face tough scrutiny in the Senate. If President Trump signed it into law, H.R. 582 would be the first increase in the federal wage since 2009.
