The fight for a $15 minimum wage is not a new one.
But it's increasingly gained traction as Democrats push for it amidst other pandemic recovery measures, and the House and Senate are under Democratic control for the first time in years. President Joe Biden has been an outspoken supporter, reiterating his views again on Tuesday.
Biden talked about his support for a gradual raise to a federal $15 minimum wage during a CNN town hall on Tuesday after an audience member expressed concern on what raising the minimum wage would mean for business owners like himself, particularly in the Midwest.
"I do support a $15 minimum wage," Biden said during the town hall. "I think there is equally as much, if not more, evidence to dictate that it would grow the economy and, long run and medium run, benefit small businesses as well as large businesses, and it would not have such a dilatory effect. But that's a debatable issue."
Biden said the concerns of business owners for how this rate changes are "totally legitimate," but stressed the importance of a gradual raise.
"We're at $7.25 an hour. No one should work 40 hours a week and live in poverty," he said.
While a majority of Americans support the $15 minimum wage, per Insider polling, it's still a contentious measure. There are concerns over potential employment losses and the big picture impacts.
A minimum wage increase would raise pay for 32 million workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Although it would likely be beneficial for millions of Americans, the Congressional Budget Office found that this hike would lift 900,000 Americans out of poverty but could also mean a loss of 1.4 million jobs.
A recent small business poll by CNBC and SurveyMonkey of over 2,000 small business owners also found that one-third of owners reported that they would have to lay off workers if the federal minimum wage rose to this hourly rate.
There is some opposition to the minimum wage being part of the $1.9 trillion federal relief package, including from two Democratic senators. If the increase is not part of the American Rescue Plan, then it could still be a standalone bill.
To get a closer look at the benefits of raising the minimum wage, Insider looked at the minimum wage as it currently stands and when it may be $15 using various metrics, such as a state's cost of living or the ratio between a minimum wage and a median wage.
The following maps and table take a closer look at the value of the current minimum wage and a proposed $15 minimum wage:
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