• Senator Bernie Sanders expressed willingness to work with President-elect Donald Trump to raise the federal minimum wage, which has been $7.25 per hour since 2009.
• Trump acknowledged the wage is "very low" but noted challenges due to cost-of-living differences across states like Mississippi and California.
• Raising the federal minimum wage requires Congressional legislation and presidential approval, while many states already have higher minimum wages, with Washington D.C. at $17.50 per hour.

Senator Bernie Sanders expressed his hopes on a recent Sunday morning to collaborate with President-elect Donald Trump in an effort to increase the federal minimum wage, which has remained stagnant since 2009.

Sanders Indicates Willingness to Collaborate with Trump on Minimum Wage

During a conversation with Kristen Welker on NBC News' Meet the Press, Sanders, who is an independent senator from Vermont and aligns with the Democratic Party for caucus purposes, responded affirmatively when questioned about the possibility of working alongside Trump to enhance it.

Earlier in the month, Trump conceded in an interview with Welker that the current federal minimum wage is insufficiently low. He stated, "I will agree, it's a very low number." However, he also mentioned that adjusting the wage poses complexities due to significant differences in living costs across states such as Mississippi and Alabama compared to New York or California.

Federal Minimum Wage and State-Level Variations

The federal minimum wage serves as the foundational hourly compensation rate across the United States. For any increase to take effect, it requires Congressional action through legislation that establishes a new rate, followed by presidential approval. While the federal minimum wage stands at $7.25 per hour, various states have taken steps to implement higher minimum wages within their jurisdictions. These state-level minimum wages vary widely, with some areas like Washington D.C., offering up to $17.50 per hour.

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The last adjustment made to the federal minimum wage occurred in 2009 when it was raised from $6.55 per hour to its current rate of $7.25 per hour. Newsweek attempted to obtain comments from both Trump and Sanders' press teams regarding this issue through email queries sent out on Sunday.

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