“I did, but I don’t think it will survive,” Biden told “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell” in excerpts from an interview that aired on Friday. The interview with CBS is the first for a television network since taking office and the full interview will air on Sunday.
The president, who campaigned to raise the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour, said he was prepared “for a separate negotiation on the minimum wage to work my way up”.
“No one should work 40 hours a week and live below the poverty wage. And if you earn less than $ 15 an hour, you are living below the poverty wage.”
The two chambers of Congress passed a budget resolution on Friday that sets the stage for Democrats to use a process known as “budget reconciliation” to pass Biden’s comprehensive Covid-19 bill in a party vote.
Biden said he is willing to move on without the support of Republicans, but said he is willing to make certain concessions if that wins bipartisan support.
A bipartisan agreement is his preference, said the president, but emphasized the need to provide immediate and substantial relief to deal with the pandemic and economic crisis that is affecting the country.
The president’s $ 1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief proposal to Congress includes $ 1,400 stimulus checks and more help for the unemployed, the hungry and those facing eviction. It includes increased funding for vaccines and tests and additional support for small businesses, state and local governments.
Democratic lawmakers have pushed for years to raise the minimum wage, which now stands at $ 7.25 and has not increased since 2009.
This story is breaking and will be updated.