Congress members haven’t had federal pay raises since 2009. Neither have Americans who earn minimum wage.

Members of Congress have not seen a pay raise since 2009. Their annual base salaries have remained stagnant at $174,000 over a period in which inflation, cost of living, and income inequalities have all increased. The federal minimum wage has also remained stagnant at $7.25 per hour, the same rate it was set at 15 years ago.

But that may soon change — well, for Congress at least.

The federal minimum wage, first established in 1938 at 25 cents per hour, was designed to ensure American workers could be paid a “living wage.” As of 2023, nearly 870,000 workers in the U.S. — many of whom support essential industries such as food service and caregiving — remain trapped in a system that fails to reflect the living costs they face daily, earning $7.25 or less an hour. Of those workers, over two-thirds are women.

Pennsylvania is one of 20 states with a minimum wage equal to the federal minimum wage rate. All of our neighboring states have a 2025 rate set above the federal minimum wage: $15.50 in New York, $15.49 in New Jersey, $15 in Maryland and Delaware, $10.70 in Ohio, and $8.75 in West Virginia.

So why should Congress receive a pay raise at a time when many workers — some right here in Philadelphia — still earn a wage that leaves them below the poverty line?

» READ MORE: Our minimum wage of $7.25 hasn’t changed for 14 years. This is oppression, plain and simple. | Opinion

It is a valid question and one that every American and Congress member should be asking themselves.

The bipartisan funding bill, presented by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R, La.) (and subsequently criticized by President-elect Donald Trump for other reasons, and with no mention of the federal minimum wage), includes a provision to raise congressional salaries from $174,000 to $180,600. Meanwhile, people working 40 hours a week at the current federal minimum wage make just over $15,000 annually — far below the poverty threshold.

The simple truth is that the economic challenges Congress faces — dealing with inflation, rising cost of living, and workforce demands — are no different than those faced by millions of Americans across the country. However, it seems Congress’s pay raises are not tied to the same principles that govern the federal minimum wage impacting everyday people.

While members of Congress are entitled to fair compensation, especially considering the rising costs of basic necessities and housing in this country, it should not come at the expense of working Americans. Congress has a duty to ensure the policies it enacts benefit all, not just the political and elite class.

The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour has long been insufficient to meet the needs of low-income workers. At its peak in 1968, a worker earning the minimum wage of $1.68 made the equivalent of $14.48 per hour in 2024 dollars — 99% more than today’s minimum wage.

Research by the Economic Policy Institute suggests that had the federal minimum wage kept up with inflation and productivity growth, it would now stand around $22 per hour. Yet, political gridlock has prevented any increase. In 2023, the Raise the Wage Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate, proposing raising the federal minimum wage incrementally to $17 per hour by 2028. While this legislation would significantly benefit millions of workers, it has not gained significant traction in Congress, yet a self-serving pay raise seemingly gained bipartisan support.

» READ MORE: Pa. has lowest minimum wage allowed in U.S. Should it be raised to $15/hour? Pro/Con | Opinion

Some lawmakers have pointed to impacts on small businesses as a reason to not increase the federal minimum wage, fearing that higher wages would lead to higher unemployment rates as employers reduce their workforce, or reduce hours to manage rising labor costs. However, research from the Congressional Budget Office shows that a $15 minimum wage would lift 1.3 million workers out of poverty without significantly harming the overall economy.

Congress’s refusal to act on the minimum wage while simultaneously granting itself a pay raise perpetuates a system that disproportionately leaves workers behind.

This is not just a matter of economic fairness, it is a moral imperative.

Let’s be clear, the issue is not whether members of Congress deserve a pay raise — they do, as they, too, are affected by the increasing economic realities — but whether they are willing to extend the same principles of fairness and economic equity to America’s most vulnerable workers. At the very least, Congress should consider the parallels between its compensation, the need for a wage increase, and the same needs of low-income workers.

Philadelphia, a city with a large working-class population, is a prime example of how stagnant wages impact communities and people. According to Pew, about 44,000 Philadelphians earned an hourly rate of $7.25 or less in 2020, with approximately 21,000 of them working full time at that rate. For these workers — who are largely employed in food services, retail, health care and social services, and educational services sectors — the disparity between compensation and the cost of living is large and continuously increasing.

A pay raise for Congress should not become simply a point of contention, it should instead be seen as an opportunity to address the systemic pay inequality that has plagued so many communities and impacted so many. By linking the minimum wage to inflation and productivity growth, members of Congress can ensure that all workers — themselves included — are fairly compensated for their labor.

This is not just a matter of economic fairness, it is a moral imperative. Those earning minimum wage cannot endure another decade of stagnation and inactivity in Congress.

DaVonti’ DeAngelo Haynes is an assistant professor of social work at Temple University.