Jeffries Says Minimum Wage Must ‘Be Raised’—Map Shows States at $7.25

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a frontrunner to become the next House speaker, said the federal minimum wage should be raised after Democrats regained control of the House and Senate in the recent midterm elections. The federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009 and has not been increased since then, according to data from the Department of Labor.

While many states have higher minimum wages, 20 states have not raised theirs, including Republican-run states such as Florida, Missouri, and Nebraska, which have a $15 per hour minimum wage. Jeffries emphasized that raising the minimum wage is a popular position, with a recent YouGov poll showing that 68 percent of Americans support raising it to $15 per hour.

However, Democrats will need Republican support to pass a wage increase in the Senate, which remains a challenge due to the filibuster. Some Republicans may need to vote for the wage increase, and President Donald Trump's stance on the issue is unclear. Jeffries' comments come in the wake of an election focused on affordability and affordability concerns, which Democrats made a central part of their pitch to regain control of Congress.