WASHINGTON – Capitol Hill waited on Thursday for the Senate congressman to consider whether house rules would allow Democrats to raise the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour as part of the $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package from President Biden.
The decision by Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate’s chief parliamentarian, will open the stage for an intense debate among Democrats over how to proceed with the contentious provision. Democrats, who cannot afford to lose a single vote among their own ranks to pass the bill in an equally divided Senate, were divided over pressure to raise the federal minimum wage, which would increase it to $ 15 an hour in four years.
“We are waiting, like all of us, to hear from the Senate congressman about what will happen to the minimum wage in legislation,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., California) told reporters on Thursday. “I think we have a very, very strong argument and we have a very strong need in our country to approve the minimum wage.”
Raising the minimum wage is the most controversial issue in the aid package, which Democrats widely support. The package would also provide a payment of $ 1,400 to many Americans; extend and increase federal unemployment assistance; send $ 350 billion in aid to state and local governments; and inject new funds into the distribution of vaccines, food stamps and schools.
Democratic and Republican officials presented their arguments to the MP on Wednesday morning about the provision of the minimum wage and have been waiting ever since to hear her recommendation.