Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, president of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told CNN’s Dana Bash in the “State of the Union” that raising the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour “is absolutely essential and I believe the Senate will do that”. Meanwhile, Rep. Ro Khanna of California defended the salary increase as a “very reasonable” increase in an interview with CNN’s “Inside Politics” on Sunday morning.
Some Democratic congressmen doubt that the provision is allowed under the guards of reconciliation, a budgetary process that requires each provision to adhere to a strict set of rules, while a handful of moderate members have made it clear in private and in public statements that they can’t support legislation that includes it.
“I know there are doubts about whether or not the Senate can approve it. But I can tell you, Dana, this $ 15 minimum wage increase would mean that 30 million Americans would receive a raise. One million Americans would leave the poverty, and 30% of these minimum wage workers are black; 25% are Latino, “Jayapal told Bash.
The congresswoman added that she talked “quite regularly” with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, as well as with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House about the proposal. Sanders, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, remains confident that the provision does not violate Byrd’s rule, which keeps “strange” measures out of the budget.
Senate congresswoman Elizabeth MacDonough, who enforces Byrd’s rule, has not yet determined whether the minimum wage measure is within the reconciliation rules. Senators can challenge the parliamentarian’s decisions and vote to waive Byrd’s rule, but they would need a 60-vote majority to do so.
CNN previously reported that the congresswoman was “stoic” during a meeting this week with Democratic advisers on whether the minimum wage provision would be allowed through reconciliation and did not imply that no, according to a well-known Democratic adviser.
Asked on Sunday whether she would support the Covid-19 aid package without raising the minimum wage in the package, Jayapal said she thinks it will be included.
“I think it will be included, so I don’t think we will have to make that decision, and I think we will have to fight hard for it,” she said.
Khanna told Abby Phillip of CNN that she plans to vote for the final aid package, but argued that it is always progressive Democrats who are asked to make concessions.
“I’m going to vote for the final package. But my question is, why isn’t this question asked of moderates? Why don’t they have to compromise sometimes?” he said. “I mean, I voted for all CARES packages so far in Congress. And there were often provisions that I didn’t like. … Now, my question is, why not have the same question for moderates” Maybe they disagree with the minimum wage, but the overwhelming majority of Americans agree with him. Therefore, they can vote for the final package, even if they disagree with some of these provisions. “
The minimum wage portion of the Covid-19 aid package has been a point of contention since the beginning. Sanders and progressive Democrats believe that their inclusion is necessary and would provide them with an important legislative victory at the beginning of the Biden government. But Republicans are vehemently opposed to its inclusion and, if it were included in the final package, would destroy any hope of bipartisan support for the plan.
Biden has said on several occasions that, while supporting a $ 15 minimum wage, he is skeptical that it can be approved by reconciliation, and two moderate Democrats, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, made it clear that they would not support the final agreement if the minimum wage increase is part of.
This story was updated with additional details on Sunday.
CNN’s Jeremy Herb, Ryan Nobles, Veronica Stracqualursi, Phil Mattingly, Lauren Fox, Tami Luhby and Manu Raju contributed to this report.