“I have long supported an increase in the minimum wage. In general, I support a $ 12 increase, but I was very concerned that, in the midst of this pandemic, it would have an impact, especially on the restaurant business, ”said current Senator Maggie Hassan (DN.H.) . “I want to find a way to support workers who need an increase in the minimum wage.”
Senator Angus King (I-Maine), who opposed Sanders’ proposal, said the servers are saying to him, “Please don’t screw it up.” King, who agrees with the Democrats, suggested that his state’s tip-tip solution could be a guide to Congress: Maine increased its tip tip to half the general $ 12.15 minimum wage, making it easier to adjust. for restaurants that have to compensate certain workers.
King also said his caucus should consider a compromise approach after the Senate congressman ordered an out-of-order minimum wage increase in the party’s $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. This means that the bill is subject to a 60-vote limit under Senate rules.
“I have suffered a lot [for my vote]. And I am in favor of raising the minimum wage, ”said King, who remembered pushing a deal futilely when Democrats had a majority in the Senate last.
A compromise is “better than nothing,” he added. “And nothing is what we got eight years ago … it will require 60 votes. So, this will require a compromise ”.
Senate Finance President Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) And Senate HELP Committee Chairman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) Will join Sanders for Tuesday afternoon’s meeting with Schumer. Sanders’ project would result in a salary of $ 15 in 2024, a fee that President Joe Biden and much of the party campaigned for last year.
Skeptics about Sanders’ proposal see a lower rate that can attract Republican support and preserve some paid wages – which is currently set at $ 2.13 – as the only option to move forward. Employees whose tips are lower than the federal minimum wage receive the difference from their employers. This system allows some sophisticated restaurant servers, for example, to earn much more than the minimum wage.
“One of my biggest concerns is with the salary paid,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen (DN.H.). “In the midst of the pandemic, it is not time to completely change the model that restaurants have been using for a long time.”
As negotiations on the minimum wage continue, some Senate Republicans have offered an increase to $ 10 an hour, which would then be indexed to inflation and include a more rigorous examination of employees’ immigration records. Many Democrats dismissed this effort as less than serious. Senator Joe Manchin (DW.Va.) opposes the $ 15 national salary and suggested that $ 11 an hour would be a preferable rate.
“Republicans want $ 10. $ 11 puts it above the poverty guidelines. And salary tips go up to 50 percent of the poverty guidelines, ”said Manchin, who said he is talking to the National Restaurant Association about the issue. “I don’t see why this would not be a good way for everyone.”