Minimum Wage Update: Republican Senators Offer $10 Minimum Wage Plan

picture of people collecting signatures for a petition to raise the minimum wage

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There's a provision in the massive House budget reconciliation bill that would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. (The reconciliation bill is being used to get President Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package through Congress without the threat of a filibuster in the Senate.) However, once the House passes the bill – which is expected to happen before the end of February – the fate of this particular proposal is in serious doubt. Senate Republicans don't like it, and a handful of moderate Democratic Senators are against the $15 minimum wage, too. Plus, the Senate parliamentarian could kick the minimum wage provision out of the reconciliation bill altogether if she determines that it doesn't sufficiently impact the budget.

Congress Moves Forward with Minimum Wage Increase

So, with the $15 minimum wage plan on thin ice, maybe there's room for a compromise. Enter Senators Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) with a new plan. Under their plan, the federal minimum wage, which is currently $7.25 per hour, would gradually rise to $10 by 2025. After that, it would be adjusted for inflation every two years. But there's a catch – employers would be required to use the E-Verify system to prevent the hiring of undocumented workers.

According to a plan summary, Romney and Cotton claim that their $10 minimum wage proposal "would raise wages for 3.5 million workers without harming the very workers it's intended to protect. Mandatory E-Verify would preserve American jobs for legal workers and remove incentives for increased illegal immigration. Both policies work in tandem to create tighter labor markets and put upward pressure on wages."

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Gradual Increase to $10 Minimum Wage

As mentioned above, the Romney-Cotton plan would raise the federal minimum wage to $10 per hour by 2025, and then adjusting it for inflation every other year. But it would increase the minimum wage at a slower rate for small businesses with fewer than 20 employees. It would also prevent any increase during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, the minimum wage for new workers who are 19 years old or younger is $4.25 per hour during the first 90 days of employment. In an effort to help teenagers find their first job, the Republicans' plan would also increase the youth minimum wage and extend the eligible period to 180 days.

The table below shows how the minimum wage would increase under the Romney-Cotton plan.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

YEAR	FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE	SMALL BUSINESSES	YOUTH MINIMUM WAGE
Current	$7.25	$7.25	$4.25
Post-Pandemic Year 1	$8.00	$7.75	$4.75
Year 2	$8.75	$8.25	$5.25
Year 3	$9.50	$8.75	$5.75
Year 4	$10.00	$9.25	$6.00
Year 5	$10.00	$9.75	$6.00
Year 6	Adjust for Inflation	Equal to Federal Minimum Wage	Adjust for Inflation

E-Verify Requirement

E-Verify is an internet-based system that allows employers to confirm the employment eligibility of their workers. To use the system, employers submit information taken from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, which is then electronically compared to records available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. It usually only takes a few seconds to confirm the worker's employment eligibility using the system.

The Republican Senators' plan would:

Mandate use of the E-Verify system for all employers within 18 months;
Raise civil and criminal penalties on employers that hire unauthorized aliens and/or violate the I-9 paperwork requirements;
Require workers 18 and older to provide a photo ID to their employer for verification, which would be cross-referenced if a photo is available through the E-Verify system;
Authorize states to share driver's license information/photos to improve E-Verify's accuracy and condition certain federal grant funds on information sharing;
Provide $100 million annually in funding to ensure E-Verify is immune from a government shutdown; and
Authorize a program to block or suspend misused Social Security numbers for E-Verify, including Social Security numbers of deceased people and unusual multiple uses of the same number.

This part of the Romney-Cotton plan is likely to be a non-starter for Democratic lawmakers.

State Minimum Wages

Don't forget that states can have their own minimum wage. They can be higher than the federal amount, but not lower. Check the U.S. Department of Labor's website to find your state's minimum wage.

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Rocky Mengle was a Senior Tax Editor for Kiplinger from October 2018 to January 2023 with more than 20 years of experience covering federal and state tax developments. Before coming to Kiplinger, Rocky worked for Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting, and Kleinrock Publishing, where he provided breaking news and guidance for CPAs, tax attorneys, and other tax professionals. He has also been quoted as an expert by USA Today, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Reuters, Accounting Today, and other media outlets. Rocky holds a law degree from the University of Connecticut and a B.A. in History from Salisbury University.