Department of Labor Secretary Alex Acosta’s resignation July 12 preceded a busy week for the federal government, including House bills repealing the so-called “Cadillac tax” and pushing a $15 minimum wage by 2025.

Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour would raise pay for 27 million workers but also lead to over 1 million job losses, according to Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projections.

​The U.S. House of Representatives, where Democrats hold sway, may vote as early as August on a measure that would more than double the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

When Walmart’s top executive urged Congress to boost the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour nationwide, it added fuel to an already contentious debate. Supporters of a $15 wage say it’s good for workers and for businesses, which benefit from having less turnover. Opponents say that while big corporations can afford to hike entry-level workers’ pay, their smaller competitors might not be able to do so and stay in business.

The Connecticut Legislature recently passed a bill to incrementally raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2023. Gov. Ned Lamont has pledged to sign the bill, which would make Connecticut the seventh state to phase-in a $15 an hour wage hike.