The week
The Senate votes a $ 15 reduction in the minimum wage during vote-a-rama. Bernie Sanders looks unfazed.
The Senate went through a long series of votes on Thursday and Friday, with Democrats rejecting most of the theoretically unlimited series of amendments to its budget resolution. “The resistance race known as ‘vote-a-rama’ is an established tradition of the reconciliation process – the budget tool that Democrats are likely to use to accelerate the approval of [President] Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan without any support from the Republican Party, “explains Politico. Most of the votes involved” Republicans forcing Democrats to tedious and uncomfortable votes on a variety of issues while Democrats inflicted maximum pain in dragging legislative torment, “Politician Reports. But some amendments were passed with bipartisan support. By a verbal vote, for example, senators passed an amendment by Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) to” prohibit the increase in federal minimum wage during a global pandemic. “Raising the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour is one of the heavyweights in Biden’s proposal.” A federal minimum wage of $ 15 would be devastating for our small businesses hardest hit when they can least afford to pay, “said Ernst of the measure’s biggest proponent, Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt. ), Shrugged, noting that his plan increased the minimum wage by five years, starting after the pandemic. “We need to end the pandemic. The hunger wage crisis in Iowa and around the United States, “he said, adding that he” will do everything he can “to ensure that the measure” is included in this reconciliation project. “The increase in the minimum wage can be hindered by other factors: Senator Joe Manchin (DW.Va.) is opposed and may conflict with the limits of the so-called Byrd Rule on what can be included in reconciliation projects. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), said that if it does not pass this bill, Democrats will include it in other legislation.The Senate has also passed amendments to keep the United States Israeli Embassy in Jerusalem, preventing undocumented immigrants receive direct stimulus checks and – by 99 votes in favor – restrict Biden’s $ 1,400 checks from going to “high-income taxpayers.” This proposal, by Manchin and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), did not specify any income cap, and Biden’s proposal already includes phasing out checks for families of up to $ 300,000 a year. Congress and the White House are negotiating phasing out and cut points, and Biden will meet with leaders Democrats and committee chairs on Friday morning to discuss the COVID-19 relief bill. More stories from theweek.comSenator Ivanka? Former CIA officer explains why Biden is right not to “take the risk” of sending intelligence briefings to Trump CIA analyst involved in briefing Biden should not be trusted after defending the torture program, says a former investigator Senate