During his Senate confirmation hearing, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Treasury Secretary—billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent—clearly stated his opposition to raising the federal minimum wage.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) questioned Bessent on the issue, highlighting that over 22 million American workers earn less than $15 an hour, with nearly 40 million earning under $17. Sanders criticized the stagnant federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour—which has not increased since 2009—and asked if Bessent would support efforts to raise it to a living wage.
