'Not Gonna Fly': Jayapal Warns Democrats Against Using Advice of Unelected Parliamentarian as Excuse

[White Fox]

With the Senate parliamentarian expected to issue advice as soon as Thursday on whether increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour complies with the rules of budget reconciliation, top congressional progressives stressed that the official's decision is merely advisory and should not be used by Democrats to concede defeat on the push for a long-overdue pay raise for tens of millions of workers.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), said in an appearance on MSNBC late Wednesday that Democrats "made a promise to people across this country that we were gonna raise the minimum wage, that we were gonna put money in people's pockets." The House has included the $15 minimum wage proposal in its version of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, and is expected to pass the sweeping measure on Friday.
"It's been 12 years since we've raised the minimum wage, and if we're going to make those promises, we have to be able to deliver on them," Jayapal said. "Because, I'll tell you what, in two years... when people vote in the midterms, you're not gonna be able to say, 'Well, I'm sorry, we couldn't raise the minimum wage because the parliamentarian ruled that we couldn't do it.' That's not gonna fly."

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/25/not-gonna-fly-jayapal-warns-democrats-against-using-advice-unelected-parliamentarian

[calimary]

1. The voters may be tired of been fouled on a technicality.

[Demsrule86]

16. I would argue the Covid bill is very popular and if unemployment ends while we try to

pass the 15 dollar minimum (and likely fail if the parliamentarian rules against it), there will be a huge backlash. People literally will starve and lose their homes. Priorities people! Let's build a majority where we can eliminate the filibuster. We don't have that now. It will take winning in 22 and maybe 24.

[Irish_Dem]

2. An arcane rule is going to block emergency relief to the people?

Time for these BS rules to go bye bye.

[Demsrule86]

4. The minimum wage requirement will have to be removed and done separately.

If you can't include it in reconciliation. That is the bottom line. If we must use reconciliation in order to get the Covid Relief bill through because we don't have 60 votes than there is no other choice. If we allow unemployment insurance to run out for millions of America in March, we are screwed in 22 and 24. And we have demonstrated yet again a failure to govern effectively. You can't always get what you want, so you get what you can. I want minimum wage to pass and I want immigration reform. But the reality is we may have to wait until we have a stronger majority to pass such things...and the Covid bill should not sit while we try all sorts of maneuvers to pass minimum wage which without reconciliation is doomed. The Covid bill must pass as soon as possible.

[Irish_Dem]

7. Government of the people, by the people, for the people.

That is how it is supposed to be.
Not arcane ridiculous rules blocking emergency help to the people.

[Demsrule86]

10. Well what is your solution? It will go to the courts if we fight it...we don't have time. First of

all minimum wage will be phased in. It won't be $15.00 immediately. And unemployment runs out in March. The Covid bill has to pass...millions of Americans are depending on it...minimum wage reform is needed but if we don't have the votes needed than we can't do it.

[Celerity]

18. Senate rules are not subject to judicial review. The PO of the Senate (VP Harris) can

overrule the Parliamentarian and no court can block.

Now, that said, it is almsot never done (1975 was the last time), the WH (via Klain) has said they will not do it, and IF we did do it, we might lose Manchin and Sinema (and maybe more).

If the Parliamentarian rules against us, there will be no minimum wage increase under Biden unless we gain enough seats in 2022 to trash the filibuster (highly doubtful) and also hold the House (not looking good). First midterms for Dem POTUS's have been bloodbaths. 1994 and 2010 were nightmares.

[Demsrule86]

19. I would say two things...so I think there would be lawsuits...just to slow down everything.

Also, the 2022 midterm like 2002 midterm where Bush won seats in Congress are unusual to say the least ...and if we run against the do nothing GOP and explain what will happen if the GOP takes control, I think we might win in 2022. Passing the Covid bill in a timely fashion would help. Also, all Democrats must vote in the midterms...this bit about only voting in Presidential years is profoundly stupid. Also, the left must not take their ball and go home as they have done in past midterms...no message voting. it only helps the GOP. Vote as if your life depends on it. If we don't fight like hell to retain the house and increase our majority in the Senate than, will achieve little policy in the end and further convince Americans that government can't function.

[Demsrule86]

11. If we could get rid of the filibuster, they would go but we can't and not doing the covid bill

in a timely fashion will hurt us in 2022...we need to increase our majority. What many here won't face is that we have a bare majority. We need more people.

[Yavin4]

13. So, how would you motivate Dem base voters to vote in the midterms of 2022?

You won't have the scary boogeyman any more, and most Americans don't watch Rachel or Lawrence. So, they won't understand the nuance that a parliamentarian ruled against including it in the bill?

If giving the Democrats the presidency and majorities in both chambers of congress does not result in direct improvements in their lives, why should they continue to vote for Democrats?

Please explain that to me.

[Demsrule86]

14. Are you f'ing kidding me? Motivate the democratic base? If an attempted insurrection,

500,000 dead Americans and the GOP's resistance (Covid Bill) to sending help to ordinary Americans isn't enough to motivate the base...then we are doomed. If the so called base can't understand we need a larger majority and just give it all back to the Republicans in 22 and 24 then we are doomed. Our republic will fail. I would hope our base is not stupid and would demonstrate loyalty. One would hope they learned something in 10,14 and 16.

We either stick together or we all fail. We have the smallest majority possible and we can't get rid of the filibuster because of conservadems who are needed for our small majority... Passing the Covid bill will help us. It is hugely popular. And I would warn the base, the party will move further to the right to court moderate and independent votes if those on the left can't be trusted to vote blue no matter who. You can't make demands that are not earned at the ballot box. It was moderates that gave us the House and the Senate.

[Yavin4]

22. So, people should just vote for Democrats even though it won't improve their lives in any

meaningful way. And, no, the covid relief package which contains a one time payment is not going to be enough for most Americans to get through a still semi-quarantined economy.

Most Americans are not political junkies. They don't watch MSNBC or CNN 24/7. They just know what their lives are currently like. They gave Democrats control of the congress and the presidency, and they are not going to see tangible improvements in their lives before the mid terms in 2022.

And good luck winning political power in this country with moderates. The Democrats won in 2020 in large part due to African American and young voters looking for improvement. There are not nearly enough moderate votes out there to give Democrats a governing majority.

[Demsrule86]

15. I would remind you the Covid bill is hugely popular and will help our side. It can't be delayed for

any reason.

[TheRealNorth]

3. Would Moscow Mitch let the Senate Parliamentarian stop him from gutting the ACA.....

There's my answer.

[Irish_Dem]

5. The GOP does not follow the law or rules. It makes up stuff as it goes.

[Demsrule86]

8. The would not be able to do it either.

[Demsrule86]

6. There would be no choice. You can't do it in reconciliation if the Senate Parlimentarian rules

against it. Biden doesn't think it will survive and said so. There would be court challenges and we would likely lose such challenges and we don't have time. We must pass the Covid bill.

[dsc]

9. yes he actually did let the parliamentarian do exactly and precisely that

the very same parliamentarian required them to change that bill in some substantive ways so they could use reconciliation.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/repeal-and-replace/66840

[Demsrule86]

12. There is no choice in this really.

[NoRethugFriends]

20. This

[gratuitous]

23. Did Donald Trump let customs and courtesies curtail his program?

No. McConnell wanted more Federalist butts on the federal bench, so the quaint custom of "blue slips" was trashed. Nary a peep from the "unity" and "bipartisan" peacocks in the media. But disregarding a non-binding ruling from the Parliamentarian? The American empire totters!

[Politicub]

17. I had never heard about the sheer, intoxicating power of the

parliamentarian until the idea of the $15 minimum wage started becoming real. What a death grip this person holds on millions of American workers.

The power broker in Congress is the parliamentarian now. Get used to it plebes.

[Celerity]

21. The US Senate (long before we even got to talking about the Parliamentarian) is

one of worst legislative bodies in the advanced world. It is, and has been, a huge long-wave constitutional ticking time bomb since its inception (the 2 Senators for each state regardless of size tosh) and then 1805 (Burr accidentally creating the filibuster).

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.brookings.edu/blog/brookings-now/2013/11/20/senate-filibuster-was-created-by-mistake/amp/