Democratic Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51) has decided that the best thing her party can do for working Americans is to take away their jobs and make everything more expensive by pushing for a federal minimum wage hike.
19 states are raising their minimum wage in 2026 – but the federal minimum wage is still stuck at $7.25, far below what’s needed to survive. All workers, no matter what state they live in, deserve a living wage.https://t.co/Cl3nUO6LSj
— Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (@RepSaraJacobs) January 5, 2026
"19 states are raising their minimum wage in 2026 – but the federal minimum wage is still stuck at $7.25, far below what’s needed to survive. All workers, no matter what state they live in, deserve a living wage," Jacobs wrote on X.
Many U.S. workers are ringing in the new year with a raise as new minimum wage increases take effect in states and localities across the country on Thursday.
More than 8.3 million workers are expected to benefit from minimum wage hikes in 19 states, which will collectively add an estimated $5 billion in earnings nationwide, according to a December report by the Economic Policy Institute.
On top of changes to state minimum wages, many cities and municipalities with local wage standards increased their minimum wages Thursday as well. For example, Seattle’s minimum wage rose to $21.30 an hour, and the minimum wage in Minneapolis is now $16.37 an hour.
Hawaii will see the most significant increase, from $14 to $16, and other states, including Arizona, California, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York, will also raise their minimum wages.
The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009.
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California raised the minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 on April 1, 2024. Between that day and March, 2025, the state lost 16,000 fast food jobs. By December 2024, Pizza Hut had laid off 1,200 delivery drivers thanks to higher costs. The price of fast food increased by nearly 15 percent on average. In November, California voters rejected another minimum wage hike in the state.
There's no such thing as a "living wage," either. Why is $15 the magical number? Why not make it $50 an hour? $100 an hour? Democrats know their policies harm businesses and make things more expensive. They don't care. They care more about having the talking point than about hiding the economic reality. Every time Democrats raise the minimum wage, businesses cut hours, lay off workers, or automate processes. The prices of goods and services rise, negating any possible gains from the increase.
Wash, rinse, repeat. Yet time and again, Democrats do this so they can virtue signal about being pro-working class (while they keep collecting taxes from us).
Meanwhile, for those of us in the real world, the actual minimum wage is zero.
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