Liberal Democrats are increasingly concerned that the Senate will serve as a legislative graveyard for President biden
Joe BidenIntercept chief of staff: minimum wage was not “high priority” for Biden in relief from COVID-19 South Carolina Senate adds firing squad as an alternative method of execution Seth Harris, Obama’s former president, to serve as Biden’s labor consultant: MORE reportagenda, unless he and other centrists come together to end the obstruction.
Tensions, for the time being, are mainly under the surface, as the party approaches an initial victory under Biden: the approval of a giant $ 1.9 trillion bill to aid coronavirus.
The Senate is expected to pass it this week, and when it becomes law, it will be an unmistakable victory in Biden’s first 100 days.
However, this initial victory will cover up the fear among Democrats that important items passed in the House will die in the Senate, unless the party greases the gears for change by ending the obstruction.
Senate majority leader Charles Schumer
Chuck Schumer Does Biden stumble in China? First black Senate secretary installed Republican candidate for Ohio Senate asks Republican Party representative to resign because of impeachment vote MORE (DN.Y.) insists that the Senate will not be a cemetery – the term Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTanden withdraws appointment as head of Biden’s budget The cover of the book Boehner provokes attacks against Cruz, Trump Gun optimistic violence prevention groups background check legislation can be passed in this Congress MORE (Ky.) He was welcome to describe what would happen with the legislation passed by the Democratic House for the Senate that he controlled in the last two years.
“I believe and I believe that my caucus believes that we need a big and bold action, and we will find out the best way to get a big and bold action on several fronts,” said Schumer, swearing that “people are going to be forced to vote on them. “
But the White House on Tuesday tried to avoid the problem in a few ways: Biden did not answer questions from Democratic senators on Tuesday during a brief eight-minute call for his weekly lunch.
The call ended up serving as a twist before this week’s vote on the relief measure, but by not answering questions, Biden also avoided hearing from liberal senators about obstruction or pressure for a $ 15 minimum wage, which was included the initial relief bill for COVID-19 was passed by the House early on Saturday morning, but is now freezing.
“He said we need to get this project approved and get it approved soon,” Schumer told reporters after the call, referring to Biden. He said the Senate “will have the votes we need to pass the bill” and that Congress is on track to send the measure to Biden’s table before federal unemployment benefits expire on March 14.
Asked on Tuesday whether he would support obstruction reform if Republicans block Democratic priorities, such as expanding voting rights protections, Schumer replied: “The end result is that we will find out – we will meet like a caucus and find a way to get the bold action that the American people demand. ”
Liberal hopes of raising the federal minimum wage in the COVID-19 relief bill were dashed by a confluence of factors.
The Senate congressman decided that the increase in the minimum wage could not be included in the special budget rules that Democrats are using to circumvent the obstruction in the Senate. This prompted some Democrats to call for the parliamentarian’s annulment, a move rejected by Democratic leaders in Biden and the Senate.
It also masked the fact that Democrats in the Senate did not have 50 votes to approve the minimum wage increase advocated by the House because of opposition from the Democratic senator. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) ManchinMurkowski never told the White House that he would oppose Tanden On The Money: Tanden withdraws appointment as head of Biden’s budget | Relief project tests narrow Democratic majority | Senate confirms Biden’s choices for trade, WH Tanden economist withdraws nomination as head of Biden’s budget MORE (W.Va.), which also opposes the end of the obstruction.
Progressives now want to increase pressure on Biden to end the obstruction in the hope that it will increase pressure for Manchin and other Democrats to do so.
Without Biden’s support, however, liberal advocates for changing Senate rules say there is no chance to convince Manchin or Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) To support the reform of the rules.
They alert the votes of other centrists – Sens. Chris Coons
Chris Andrew CoonsKhashoggi Bride: Not punishing the Saudi Crown Prince would be ‘stain on our humanity’ GOP says Ron Klain pulling strings from Biden Pompeo: Khashoggi report released by administrator Biden ‘reckless’ MORE (D-Del.), Tom Carper
Thomas (Tom) Richard CarperTexas snowstorm wreaks havoc on the state power grid The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by TikTok – Dems end their case; Trump verdict this weekend No sign of demand for witnesses at Trump’s trial MORE (D-Del.) E Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Emiel FeinsteinPro-Choice Caucus asks Biden to remove restrictions on the 2022 budget abortion fund China has already infiltrated America’s institutions. (D-Calif.) – are uncertain without Biden’s intervention.
“They will not feel pressured to do this unless Biden himself presses them,” said Robert Borosage, co-founder of Campaign for America’s Future, a progressive advocacy group.
During Tuesday’s conference call, Biden expressed strong support for raising the federal minimum wage to $ 15 an hour, but he stopped short before endorsing the end of the obstruction.
He made it clear to Democrats that he does not want distractions from the effort to send $ 1,400 stimulus checks and other aid to American families and businesses. He indicated that he plans to return to the fight for the minimum wage.
Democrats hope that the pressure on lawmakers to lift the obstruction will increase after the House approves HR 1, a broad campaign financing reform measure, and the John Lewis
John LewisVernon Jordan: an American legend and a good friend Republican lawyer tells the Supreme Court that he restricts Sunday’s vote in the legal DOJ faces a rapid turnaround to fulfill Biden’s pledge to vote MORE Voting Rights Act, which is expected to obstruct the Senate.
Biden has so far refrained from supporting the Senate obstruction reform, although he sees legislation to strengthen voting rights as a critical priority.
Press Secretary Jen Psaki
Jen PsakiTanden withdraws appointment as head of budget for Biden Cardona seeks pivot of the DeVos era in education White House says weekly doses of vaccine will increase to 15.2 million MORE on Monday he said the White House “will not go ahead with the process”.
“The president’s opinion of the obstruction is well known,” she said. “He hasn’t changed that point of view, but certainly any step to protect the right to vote, to make it easier and not more difficult for people to vote in the country, we consider it a positive step.”
Two of the strongest voices for obstruction reform are the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersIntercept head of the branch: the minimum wage was not “high priority” for Biden in the relief of COVID-19 Murkowski never told the White House that he would oppose Tanden Tanden withdraws the appointment as head of Biden’s budget MORE (I-Vt.) And Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth WarrenOvernight Health Care: Biden says the US will have enough vaccine for all adults by the end of May | Biden asks all states to vaccinate teachers by the end of March | Texas, Mississippi imposes lifting mask Biden chooses for financial agencies to offer a preview of the regulatory agenda Becerra tells Warren he will do a ‘full review’ of executive actions on drug prices MORE (D-Mass.).
Warren on Tuesday said that Biden is now focused on signing the COVID-19 relief bill instead of how to maneuver around Republican Party obstructors in minimum wage legislation and other priorities.
After the call, Sanders said there would be more efforts to raise the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour.
“Believe me, believe that this will not be the last vote on the minimum wage,” said Sanders. “There will be many votes. This minimum wage bill will be approved. “
Democratic senators who advocate obstruction reform say the parliamentarian’s decision to remove the minimum wage clause from the COVID-19 aid package lends impetus to changing Senate rules.
“I think that played a role and I also think that over time the impact of the dysfunction that was driven by a handful of members obstructing everything changed our caucus from being relatively divided into changing things, reforming the obstruction, to be much more unified that some things have to happen, ”said the senator. Martin Heinrich
Martin Trevor HeinrichDemocrats offer bill on Puerto Rico’s state USPS, totaling 165,000 electric or low-fuel delivery vehicles. Democrats propose executive actions in the acquisition of electric vehicles MORE (DN.M.).
Heinrich said, “The kind of obstruction we see makes it impossible to do some very basic things that the American people demanded of us.”
“The increase in the minimum wage is one such example,” he added.
Brett Samuels contributed.