Walmart can afford to pay an hourly wage of $ 15: Rep. Ro Khanna

California Congressman Ro Khanna asks Walmart to put his workers ahead of corporate profits.

Last fall, the Democratic legislator teamed up with Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders to help draft the Stop Walmart Act. The bill provides for the compensation of employees to be at least $ 15 an hour.

"Walmart can afford to raise wages, and raising wages to $ 15 for many means that people can find housing to live, pay for health care and send their children to school," he said at a conference First on FOX Business interview with Liz Claman on Wednesday.

Doug McMillon, chief executive of Walmart, calls on Congress to develop a comprehensive plan to increase the federal minimum wage, saying the current rate is "too low."

"Our actions and those of other companies have clearly shown that the federal minimum wage is lagging behind. $ 7.25, it's too low. It is time for Congress to put in place a thoughtful plan to raise the minimum wage, "he said at an annual shareholders meeting at its headquarters in Arkansas.

Khanna said he was encouraged by Walmart's chief executive's demands for a pay raise.

"It is high time for Doug McMillon and others to advocate for an increase in the minimum wage," he said in "Countdown to the closing bell". "But they have to do more."

Sanders met with Walmart executives at its annual shareholder meeting, telling all participants that the retail giant should provide its workers with a "living wage".

"Walmart is the largest private employer in America and belongs to … the richest family in the United States," he said. "Despite the wealth of its owner, Walmart pays many of its employees the starvation wage."

Walmart was the first to announce that it would increase its wages to $ 11 an hour after the passage of President Trump's tax reform in 2018. This decision marked a good commercial practice for the conglomerate of large retailers, the price of shares of the company soared by 94.84 dollars in January 2018. current price of $ 104.42 the action.

Other retailers such as Costco and Target are on the way to a salary increase. Amazon has already adjusted its minimum wage to $ 15.

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Khanna, who calls himself a progressive capitalist, said that he advocated free enterprise as long as all those who work hard benefit from it.

"If Walmart follows [Amazon] It would be such an incredible message across the country that business leaders say you can pay for your workers while making a profit, "he said.