Biden can improve the lives of hundreds of thousands with a single executive order. By Bryce Covert Ms. Covert, a contributing opinion writer, is an independent journalist who focuses on the economy, with an emphasis on policies that affect workers and families. Feb. 5, 2021 Workers installing barbed wire near the Capitol a day before the inauguration.Credit...Mike Segar/Reuters President Biden has been very clear. He wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 from the current floor of $7.25 an hour. But it’s also clear that it’ll be a tough sell. Republicans have singled out a $15 wage in Mr. Biden’s Covid-relief package as one of the things they object to most. Even some Senate Democrats may not be on board; Joe Manchin and Jon Tester have already voiced opposition. During the deliberations over Mr. Biden’s proposal on the Senate floor this week, a measure that prohibits any minimum wage increase during the pandemic passed on a voice vote, potentially signaling problems down the road.