Pritzker: Raising minimum wage an ‘easy way’ for Democrats to start in new Congress

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said Wednesday that Democrats should pass legislation to raise the federal minimum wage on the heels of their midterm victories .

“Well, there’s an easy way to start. Let’s raise the minimum wage in the United States,” Pritzker told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, when she asked what Democrats in Congress should focus on.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, equating to an annual salary of $15,080. The minimum wage last increased in 2009, when it rose from $6.55 per hour under the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 — which a Democratic Congress passed and former President George W. Bush signed into law.

Pritzker said Wednesday that Americans “can’t survive” on making $7.25 an hour, saying individuals “can’t raise a family” on that salary.

Raising the minimum wage was one of a slew of policy proposals Pritzker highlighted in his “Fighting for Illinois: Day One Agenda,” which he released on Wednesday .

The Illinois governor, who won reelection to a third term this week, called on Congress to pass legislation to provide universal healthcare and reform the country’s immigration system.

The potential 2028 presidential candidate , whose state has a minimum wage of $15 per hour, said he would “hope” President Trump would not veto Democratic-led measures to lower the cost of living.

“I would hope that he understands what the American people have said,” Pritzker told Collins. “But I can tell you, Democrats need to be very clear that we are sticking up for raising wages and lowering costs for American families.”