A number of bills have been introduced in the 109th Congress to increase the federal minimum wage such as a bill introduced by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) that would increase the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour. This measure represents one of the steepest and quickest increases in the minimum wage in history. Although this bill – and the others that have been introduced – have not yet been considered in the 109th Congress, the legislators have indicated their intent to push for consideration during this Congress. These measures (S. 224 and HR 965 respectively) represent the steepest and quickest increase in the minimum wage in history. Although neither bill has been considered by the full House or Senate to date – these legislators have indicated their intent to push for consideration during this 108th Congress. HR 965 currently has 81 cosponsors and S 224 has 34 cosponsors.