It would take an act of Congress, and neither Republicans in the House nor Dems in the Senate have introduced such a bill. Nor would (or should) it pass.
Still, adopting ones opponent's position strategically takes that position off the table. It doesn't matter if the promise is fulfilled by either side. Whether it can be accomplished is incidental.
It's completely unjustifiable. Why should tipped workers be given a windfall over every other kind of worker? Plenty of jobs out there that pay less than what is made by many tipped workers.
Traditionally, hospitality workers, among others directly tied to services rendered, would typically be a minimum wage job, because those positions are offered in industries with low margins and high turnover...
The natural evolution of tipping served a purpose in providing a living wage to those most capable of the service - while putting that selection method directly in the hands of the end user, and allowing a greater profit from an otherwise thankless low wage. What may have started in pity wound up a measurement of merit.
BUT, since causing tips to be taxable, and raising minimum wage to the point that hospitality is no longer profitable, the function of a tip as a reward for meritorious service has waned - the living wage now provided otherwise, without the natural winnowing that tipping used to accomplish - thus the service is no longer based in merit, and service must now suffer fools.
