[samayylmao]

Two adults working 40/hours a week for minimum wage would bring in 30,160 /year.

If we apply this article's suggestions to your situation: 2,500 (2 adults, 1 child) * 12 months is 30,000 /year.

Like you said, too many people live paycheck to paycheck and our minimum wage keeps it that way. You can barely survive on it.

[cle]

My interpretation was that flat $ amounts are leaving a lot on the table, with the extreme divergence of COL in cities vs. suburban vs. rural areas.

And I agree. I don't think the federal government should frame these things in terms of absolute $ amounts (I see the same thing in e.g. tax brackets and tax credits). The amounts should ideally be adjusted based on the COL and the dollar's purchasing power in the citizen's local area.