Biden Doesn't Expect $15 Minimum Wage to Be Included in Final Covid-Aid Bill

[JoeOtterbein]

Wal Street Journal

Democrats moving forward without Republican support for the package

By Andrew Duehren
Updated Feb. 5, 2021 6:37 pm ET

WASHINGTON—President Biden said he doesn’t expect the Senate to include the $15 minimum wage in the final $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief legislation, as Democrats plowed forward without Republican support for the package and race to complete it in the coming weeks.

(Article below will update)

In both the House and Senate Friday, Democrats passed a budget resolution that allows the party to skirt the 60-vote threshold for most legislation in the Senate, and instead pass the relief package in the 50-50 chamber with a simple majority.

Now, Democrats will turn to ironing out details of the package, including deciding who would be eligible for $1,400 direct payments and whether to raise the national minimum wage to $15 an hour. With federal unemployment programs set to expire in mid-March, Democrats are hoping to speed through the tricky legislative process called reconciliation.

Mr. Biden said Friday that he hoped for backing from some Republicans on the aid bill but was prepared to move forward without it. “There are some really fine people who want to get something done,” the president said Friday of Republicans. “But they’re just not willing to go as far as I think we have to go.”

snip

WTH? No $15? then no "small business" money! They will not need it since they will not pay workers need more to just survive. Why pay them anything? Give us the money, and let the free-market decide where it is spent!

[getagrip_already]

1. your concern is noted.....

But joe doesn't write the legislation. He only gets an up or down vote on what gets delivered to him.


He has said he supports $15 and would sign it.

He just doesn't think that's the decision he will get to make. And there are a lot of factors the dems have to wade through to get to any increase.

But an increase we will see.

[msongs]

2. one suspects its not just the repubs killing the $15 min wage. then again it may not

be allowed in a reconciliation bill

[SoonerPride]

3. We can only go as far as Manchin will let us

If we can’t get all democrats on board then we must take what we can get.

Can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

And then continue to work on getting the minimum wage increased.

It is a freaking shame that it is opposed by anyone much less a Democrat.

[PA_jen]

4. WTF!!! That $15.00/hr and Small business are 2 really important things to jump start

The economy.

[still_one]

7. It has to do with what is allowed if we go through reconciliation, because it has to pass the Byrd

rule, and the parliamentarian will not let it go through, but even if it did, there are two Democrats in who would have an issue with it.

In order to clear the Byrd rule, and thus be eligible to be passed with a simple majority as opposed to 60 votes, a piece of legislation cannot contain elements that are ruled extraneous to the federal budget.

[JoeOtterbein]

13. Does the Constitution say we need to follow the parliamentarian?

If not, then why don't we pull a McConnell and do it anyway?

BTW, thanks for your help on this.

[still_one]

14. I think so Joe, because reconciliation is a parliamentary procedure

[JoeOtterbein]

15. I know it's not you.

But personally I don't think anyone working for less, could care less. Do it and tie the up in court trying to fight it. We would win politically regardless of the outcome.

[still_one]

5. The reason for this is because it won't pass reconciliation because of the the Byrd rule

In order to clear the Byrd rule, and thus be eligible to be passed with a simple majority as opposed to 60 votes, a piece of legislation cannot contain elements that are ruled extraneous to the federal budget.

They will bring it up in another bill using the "incremental" approach that Sanders and Collins were suggesting yesterday

Better for some to understand the situation before assuming certain things

[JoeOtterbein]

9. They did not know that before they...

...proposed it?

[still_one]

11. Sure, but they try to put as much into as they can. The odds are though that the

parliamentarian will say it has to go. However, even if the parliamentarian said it was ok, it is likely there are one or two Democratic Senators who won't go for it.

We will see thought, but I sure wouldn't bet on it Joe

Also, I believe Pelosi was not too happy because the parliamentarian was dragging her feet in analyzing what is acceptable or not for reconciliation

[jorgevlorgan]

6. There's a whole parliamentary process where the parliamentarian

Decides whether it can go into a reconciliation bill. They will do all they can to put it in the bill, but we do not know whether the rules will allow it to stay in it.

[still_one]

8. I am pretty sure the parliamentarian will say no because of the Byrd rule, but thank-you

for explaining the procedure to those who may not be aware

[Marius25]

10. Dems voted against it too. No way it was going to pass this time.

[still_one]

12. Probably two of them, but the parliamentarian most likely will throw it out before it

gets that far