Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” that raising the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour is absolutely essential and I think the Senate will do it. Meanwhile, California Representative Ro Khanna defended the pay rise as a “very reasonable” increase in an interview with CNN’s “Inside Politics” earlier Sunday morning.
Some Congressional Democrats question the provision will be allowed under the aegis of reconciliation, a budget process that requires each provision to adhere to a strict set of rules, while a handful of moderate members have made it clear in private and public statements that they can ‘ t support legislation that includes this.
“I know there are questions about whether or not the Senate can stand it. But I can tell you, Dana, this $ 15 minimum wage increase would mean that 30 million Americans would get a raise. A million Americans would come out of poverty, and 30% of those minimum wage workers are black and 25% are Latinx, ”Jayapal told Bash.
The congressman added that she has spoken “quite regularly” with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House, about the proposal. Sanders, who chairs the Senate Committee on Budgets, has maintained confidence that the provision does not violate the Byrd rule, which excludes ‘strange’ measures from the budget.
Senate MP Elizabeth MacDonough, who enforces the Byrd rule, has yet to determine whether the minimum wage measure falls within the rules of reconciliation. Senators can challenge the MP’s decisions and vote to waive the Byrd rule, but they need a majority of 60 votes to do so.
CNN previously reported that the MP was “stoic” during a meeting this week with Democratic aides about whether the minimum wage would be permissible through reconciliation and somehow did not shake hands with her, according to a noted Democratic aide.
When asked Sunday whether she would support the Covid-19 aid package without the minimum wage increase in the package, Jayapal said she thinks it will be included.
“I think it will be recorded, so I don’t think we’ll have to make that decision, and I think we’ll have to fight hard for it,” she said.
Khanna told CNN’s Abby Phillip that he plans to vote for the final aid package, but argued that it is always progressive Democrats who are asked to compromise.
‘I vote for the last package. But my question is, why is this question not being asked to the moderates? Why don’t they have to compromise sometimes? ‘ he said. “I mean, I’ve voted for every CARES package in Congress so far. And there were often amenities I didn’t like. … Now my question is, why don’t I have the same question for the moderates?” “They disagree with the minimum wage, but the overwhelming Americans agree. So they can vote for the final package even if they don’t agree with some of those provisions.”
The minimum wage portion of the Covid-19 aid package has been a point of contention from the start. Sanders and progressive Democrats believe its inclusion is necessary and would give them a major legislative victory early on in the Biden administration. But the Republicans strongly oppose its inclusion, and if it were to be included in the final package, it would destroy any hope of bipartisan support for the plan.
Biden has said several times that while he supports a $ 15 minimum wage, he is skeptical that it can be passed through reconciliation, and two moderate Democrats, Joe Manchin from West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona, have made it clear that deal. if the minimum wage increase is part of it.
This story was updated with additional details on Sunday.
CNN’s Jeremy Herb, Ryan Nobles, Veronica Stracqualursi, Phil Mattingly, Lauren Fox, Tami Luhby and Manu Raju contributed to this report.