House Democrats will leave a provision to raise the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour in their version of the COVID-19 aid package to be voted on Friday, despite a ruling by the Senate MP that the measure is inconsistent with fiscal rules.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi Senators Don’t Get Timeline On National Guard Removal, Capitol Fence Democratic Fury With GOP Explodes In House House Republican Attempts To Appeal Fine For Bypassing Metal Detector Outside Room MORE (D-Calif.) Called the Senate MP’s ruling “disappointing” in a statement Thursday evening, but said the House will vote on Friday on the $ 1.9 trillion support package with a minimum wage increase.
The Democrats then leave it to the Senate to remove the provision when it reaches the upper chamber.
“House Democrats believe that the minimum wage increase is necessary. Therefore, this provision will remain in the US bailout tomorrow, “Pelosi said.” Tomorrow, if we pass the American bailout plan, the American people will know aid is on the way. “
Pelosi added that House Democrats are “determined to follow every path in the Fight For 15” but did not specify the other options.
The Senate MP ruled earlier Thursday evening that the provision, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $ 15 an hour by 2025, failed to meet the secretive fiscal rules needed to pass the process known as reconciliation.
The process would allow Democrats to adopt their COVID-19 aid package by a simple majority.
While the minimum wage won’t make it to the final aid package, Democrats are still determined to show support for the progressive priority.
Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee Bobby Scott
Robert (Bobby) Cortez Scott Full COVID Recovery Needs Raising Minimum Wage Pelosi Slaps GOP on Greene: ‘The Enemy Is Inside’ Democrats Reintroduce Minimum Wage MORE (D-Va.) Said in a statement Thursday that “the Senate MP’s ruling has no bearing on the House and should not force the House to throw in the towel on such a critical issue.”
“I firmly believe that the House should send the Senate a minimum wage aid package and enable the Senate to overcome the procedural hurdles,” said Scott.
While centrist Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) ManchinKlain on Manchin’s objection to Neera Tanden: “He’s not answering us in the White House” Klain says Harris would not dismiss the MP on minimum wage increases. On The Money: Senate Panels Postpone Teeth Meetings With Negative Sign Biden Signs Supply Chain Order After ‘Positive’ Meeting With Lawmakers MORE (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) Have opposed raising the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour, and raising it to that rate is very popular among House Democrats.
All but six House Democrats voted in favor of a bill to increase the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour by 2019. And of those six, except for Rep. Kurt Schrader
Walter (Kurt) Kurt Schrader Democrats Face Unity Test On Biden’s .9T Bill Senate Democrats Will Probably Undergo Major Unity Test On 2022 Budget What I Learned In 19 Weeks Working With Progressive Democrats MORE (Ore.) Lost re-election in November.
The Senate did not pass the bill in 2019, as it was controlled by Republicans at the time. If House Democrats passed a separate bill to raise the minimum wage, it would be subject to a 60-vote threshold to clear a filibuster in the Senate.
Manchin has proposed raising the minimum wage to $ 11 an hour, but progressives have opposed the idea.
Following the MP’s decision Thursday night, progressives in both houses of Congress expressed frustration by proposing alternatives to pursue their minimum wage.
Chairman of the Senate Budgets Committee Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersKlain says Harris would not ignore the parliamentarian on minimum wage increase Romney-Cotton, a taxi driver in Cancun, and the minimum wage debate. On The Money: Senate Panels Postpone Teeth Meetings With Negative Sign Biden Signs Supply Chain Order After ‘Positive’ Meeting With Lawmakers MORE (I-Vt.) Proposed a Plan B in the form of an amendment to the lighting package that would eliminate tax breaks for large companies that do not have a minimum wage of $ 15 an hour and that would provide incentives for small businesses to collect workers. Pay.
“That amendment should be included in this alignment proposal,” said Sanders.
Chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Pramila Jayapal
MORE (D-Wash.) Said Democrats “can and should still include the minimum wage increase in the bill” and called for the Senate’s rules to be amended to include it.
“We simply cannot go back to the black, brown, AAPI, indigenous, poor and working class voters who provided us with the White House and Senate majority and tell them that an unelected MP advised us – based on mysterious rules – that we don’t could raise the minimum wage as we promised, ”said Jayapal.
The House is expected to approve the $ 1.9 trillion aid package on Friday night. The comprehensive legislation includes a third round of incentive checks of up to $ 1,400 for individuals, renewed unemployment insurance and $ 130 billion to help reopen elementary schools to face-to-face classroom education.
Democrats plan to send the aid package to President Biden
Joe BidenKlain on Manchin’s Objection to Neera Tanden: He’s ‘Not Answering Us in the White House’ Senators Won’t Get Timeline on Removing National Guard, Capitol Fence Overnight Defense: New Senate Armed Services Chairman Talks Pentagon Policy Nominee, Afghanistan, more | Biden reads report on Khashoggi murder | Austin Emphasizes Vaccine Safety in New Video MOREoffice before current unemployment benefits expire on March 14.
The Senate is expected to pick up the aid package next week after the House’s passage on Friday. The House will then vote again the following week on any changes to the legislation.
Updated at 9:37 PM