Sen. Tim Scott co-sponsors amendment to prevent $15 minimum wage during pandemic

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Late Thursday night, Sen. Tim Scott co-sponsored an amendment to the budget that would prevent the federal minimum wage to jump to $15 dollars during the pandemic.

Scott said that he believes the hike would “destroy jobs and crush small businesses already on life support.”

“Forcing a $15 minimum wage into a coronavirus relief bill would do nothing but shutter the millions of small businesses already on life support and would force those that survive to lay off employees,” he said.

Recently, Sen. Scott visited a bar manager in Washington, D.C., who explained to him how she believes the minimum wage could cut her paycheck.

He is also in the midst of a minimum wage series, outlining his experience with restauranteurs and business owners about their opinion on the minimum wage.

One of the first executive orders President Joe Biden made was to raise the federal minimum wage periodically on an annual basis, but he has since conceded the possibility the new COVID-19 package won’t include that minimum wage hike.