Sen. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) ManchinProgressives targets Manchin, Sinema with new PAC Manchin warns against coronavirus relief project only for Democrats On The Money: Biden calls Dems and calls for big COVID project | SEC’s Biden picks up as GameStop drama unfolds | Bezos stepping down as CEO of Amazon MAIS (DW.Va.) said Tuesday that it does not support raising the minimum age to $ 15 an hour – a critical hurdle to including the proposal in the final coronavirus relief bill.
“No, I am not. I basically support having something that is responsible and reasonable,” Manchin told The Hill, asked if he supports a minimum wage of $ 15 an hour.
Manchin added that for West Virginia, his home state, it would be $ 11 an hour, adjusted for inflation.
Manchin’s opposition underscores the headaches that await Democrats as they try to draft a final coronavirus aid bill.
Democrats are about to pass a budget resolution this week that allows them to pass a subsequent coronavirus bill with just a majority, bypassing the 60-vote legislative obstruction.
The budget resolution will give the green light to a $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus bill, the same amount supported by President Biden.
Democrats are expected to draft legislation that largely reflects Biden’s proposal, which includes a $ 1,400 stimulus check, plus state and local aid, unemployment benefits and an increase in the minimum wage to $ 15.
Raising the minimum wage has been a top priority and a memo from the team director to the next chairman of the Senate Budget Committee Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersDemocrats offer bill to provide tax breaks to unemployment beneficiaries Manchin says he does not support raising the hourly minimum wage. The OMB nominee will have a hearing on February 9 (I-Vt.) He praised that the budget resolution would allow a coronavirus bill that would increase the federal minimum wage “from a hunger wage of $ 7.25 an hour to a minimum wage”.
Democrats are divided over whether the minimum wage provision will survive the mysterious Senate rules that determine what can or cannot be passed under reconciliation.
But if that happens, Manchin’s opposition to a $ 15 hourly minimum wage points out that the details of the bill are likely to change during the weeks’ negotiations.
To pass a bill without the support of the Republican Party, Democrats will need each member of their 50-vote bench to support eventual coronavirus legislation.
Manchin, in a statement, confirmed that he would vote in favor of the budget resolution, but warned that he wants the final project to be “targeted”.
“Let me be clear – and those are the words that I shared with President Biden – our focus should be directed to the COVID-19 crisis and to the Americans who were most affected by this pandemic. The president remains hopeful that we can have bipartisan support in the future. I will only support proposals that help us overcome and end the pain of this pandemic, “said Manchin in a statement.