Today, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) introduced the bipartisan Fair Wage Act to index the federal minimum wage to a regional cost-of-living standard.

This holistic legislation also adjusts cash wages of tipped employees and the wages for newly hired employees under the age of 18, such as high school students employed for a summer job.

“As working families feel the pain of rising costs, it’s becoming harder to make ends meet by working a full-time job. Wages just aren’t keeping pace with inflation in some communities. My husband and I own an auto repair and machine shop, and we know without living wages people exit the trades early in their career. It’s essential that jobs in the trades remain a pathway to the middle class,” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “I’m grateful for Congressman Fitzpatrick’s partnership on this bipartisan solution to make sure the minimum wage reflects economic realities on the ground across Southwest Washington. By taking a dynamic and regional approach that accounts for the cost of living, the Fair Wage Act will help ensure the minimum wage is tailored to families’ needs.”

“Our nation’s workers deserve a fair wage that accounts for varying, regional cost-of-living rates,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick. “While others pursue partisan and unrealistic measures to address the broken minimum wage standard, I am proud to introduce the bipartisan Fair Wage Act with Congresswoman Gluesenkamp Perez. Our legislation recognizes that the federal minimum wage in my home of Levittown has a disparate impact than it does in Los Angeles or Little Rock. We must ensure that when it comes to the minimum wage, Americans can rely on being compensated appropriately based on where they work, live, raise their families, and pay taxes.”

Full text of the legislation is available here.