Top Senate rule official disqualifies minimum wage from stimulus plan
Democrats suffered a major setback Thursday in their bid to push through a $15-an-hour minimum wage as part of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package, after the Senate’s top ruleenforcer said the increase could not be included in the bill.
The decision effectively knocked out a crucial plank of Biden’s plan championed by liberals, and demonstrated the perils of Democrats’ strategy to fast-track passage of the sweeping pandemic aid legislation, part of an effort to steer around Republican obstruction.
It underscored that even with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, Biden and Democrats still face formidable challenges in delivering on their most ambitious promises, given their slim majorities and opposition from Republicans.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi of
California said the House would keep the provision in its version of the stimulus plan, which is set to be voted on Friday. But the ruling from Elizabeth MacDonough, Senate parliamentarian, all but sealed the fate of Democrats’ push to gradually raise the wage to $15 by 2025, which faces enough opposition from Republicans that it is all but certain to die on its own.
The decision also poured fuel on a smoldering debate among Democrats about how to use their Senate majority to achieve Biden’s agenda. Progressives who have pushed for the elimination of the filibuster — which effectively requires 60 votes to advance any major legislation — pointed to the ruling as evidence that Democrats had no choice but to change the rules of the Senate to enable them to push through crucial policy changes that have been stalled time and again amid Republican opposition.
The episode also touched off a bitter round of fingerpointing among Democrats, who are divided over how hard to push for the wage increase. Biden, a longtime creature of the Senate, had publicly professed skepticism that the provision would survive the procedural thicket facing his stimulus plan.
Two moderate Democrats, Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, also said they did not support including such a large increase to the federal minimum wage in the package, although some Democrats believed they ultimately might relent.
“President Biden is disappointed in this outcome,” said Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, said in a statement. “He respects the parliamentarian’s decision and the Senate’s process. He will work with leaders in Congress to determine the best path forward, because no one in this country should work full time and live in poverty.”
Professing deep disappointment and disagreement, top Democrats vowed to continue fighting for the increase, which would be the first such raise since 2009.
“We are not going to give up the fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 to help millions of struggling American workers and their families,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.