Barack Obama 2016-01-01 1 Statement on the Council of the District of Columbia's Passage of Legislation To Raise the Minimum Wage June 27, 2016 I commend the District of Columbia, Mayor Muriel Bowser, and the Council of the District of Columbia for raising the District's minimum wage. Since my first call to raise the wage in 2013, 18 States and DC have taken action, action that will help over 7 million American workers. In addition, nearly 50 cities and counties, as well as many of our leading businesses, have acted on their own to boost wages for thousands more workers. That's progress. But we must continue to build on that progress, because no American working full time in this country should struggle to make ends meet. That's why as long as I hold this office, I will continue to fight for hard-working Americans. And I will keep urging Congress to raise the Federal minimum wage so that all Americans have a fair shot to get ahead. America deserves a raise.