U.S. Senator Tom Udall expressed his support for a new proposal calling to raise the minimum wage during a conference call with reporters last month.
The proposal, called the Raise the Wage Act, is designed to raise the federal minimum wage to $12 over the next five years and index it to median wage growth.
Udall said he has long pushed for an increase in the federal minimum wage since it has not kept up with inflation. With the the Raise the Wage Act, Udall said more than 250,000 New Mexico workers will get a raise which will help them pay the bills and keep food on the table, benefiting nearly 150,000 children.
Udall went on to discuss presidential campaign public financing and his efforts to make the system more balanced.
The New Mexico Democrat introduced the EMPOWER Act which stands for Empowering Mass Participation to Offset the Wealthy’s Electoral Role. With the proposal, Udall says he wants to create a balance between the influence of grassroots donors and elite, mega donors.
Udall then concluded the interview by giving an update on his bill designed to reform national chemical safety laws. Udall says the bill, which passed with a strong bipartisan vote last month, will strengthen consumer protections and give states greater power to restrict chemicals and enforce laws. But opponents argue the bill does not go far enough, and may even reduce regulation.