Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled Thursday night that the $15 minimum wage is not allowed as part of the budget reconciliation package. Democrats let out groans and moans.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) called for MacDonough’s firing. (Imagine the reaction from Democrats if that call came from Republicans who lost such a ruling.)
Others in the Democratic caucus were more tactical:
“The Senate parliamentarian issues an advisory opinion,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said in a tweet Thursday evening. “The VP can overrule them — as has been done before. We should do EVERYTHING we can to keep our promise, deliver a $15 minimum wage, and give 27 million workers a raise.”
Vice President Harris could tread that road as Senate president but would need the vote of Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) to do it. White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain has ruled out trying to overrule the parliamentarian. President Biden, Manchin and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema view the option as setting the stage for eliminating the filibuster rule they support.
“We still need to pass the minimum wage, and if that means getting rid of the filibuster, so be it,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed to keep the minimum wage provision in the House package headed to a floor vote today.
President Biden said earlier this month that if the provision was not included in the relief package he would push for a stand-alone bill. Those opposed would have nowhere to hide.
Slate’s Jim Newell reports that Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is exploring a Plan B:
“In the coming days, I will be working with my colleagues in the Senate to move forward with an amendment to take tax deductions away from large, profitable corporations that don’t pay workers at least $15 an hour and to provide small businesses with the incentives they need to raise wages,” Sanders said. “That amendment must be included in this reconciliation bill.” While certainly better than nothing, this fallback would rely on firms’ behavior to get the job done.
How much fight have Democrats got in them? Are they winners? Let them act like it.