Republicans Are Building A Pro-Worker Movement

What’s happening: Six GOP senators have rolled out the Higher Wages for American Workers Act. The bill aims to boost the national minimum wage to $11 an hour. It also calls for mandatory E-Verify to make sure the wage hike only benefits those authorized to work in the U.S.

• Why it matters: Rather than only focusing on culture issues or Biden family corruption, passing pro-worker legislation can reach those disillusioned with Republican rhetoric. It’s also part of the realignment of Republicans, moving away from libertarianism and toward using government to help their voting base.

• Plus, Biden's policies on issues like the migrant crisis, electric vehicles (E.V.s), and the economy are giving Republicans an opening. The migrant crisis is pushing up housing costs, E.V. plans are hurting auto workers, and the economy is still struggling with high prices. This makes it easier for Republicans to win over the working class.

On display: Eight years after Trump’s focus on Rust Belt voters to win 2016, realigned Republicans are eyeing workers during the recent autoworkers strike. They're trying to pull these workers away from President Joe Biden, whose green energy policies are hurting workers in the auto industry. Some Biden allies are afraid that Republicans are winning on the issue.

Even before that, Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) joined nearly all Senate Democrats to support rail workers during a big rail strike. Hawley also worked on creating a tax credit for parents, while Sen. Marco Rubio has built a "pro-family" economic plan.