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House Democrats poised to pass Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief plan despite setback on minimum wage - The Washington Post
Feb 26, 2021 2 mins, 9 secs
The House moved toward a vote Friday on President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan, with Democrats pushing forward despite unified GOP opposition to the massive relief package aimed at stabilizing the economy and boosting coronavirus vaccinations and testing.

The action in the House comes a day after the Senate parliamentarian ruled that the $15 minimum wage in the legislation is not permitted under Senate rules.

Nonetheless, House Democrats intend to pass the legislation with the $15 minimum wage included.

It is unclear how the issue will ultimately get resolved, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pledged Friday that even if the Senate takes out the minimum wage increase -- the No.

On Thursday night, the Senate’s parliamentarian ruled the wage hike as written could not proceed under “reconciliation,” the budgetary maneuver Democrats are using to pass the stimulus bill through the Senate without GOP votes.

Liberals erupted, with some even suggesting the nonpartisan parliamentarian should be fired, but Pelosi and other House leaders indicated Friday they’re ready to move beyond the dispute and save the minimum wage fight for another day, while insisting they’d get it done one way or another.

As an alternative to the minimum-wage increase, Senate Democrats are exploring a tax hike on large corporations that do not pay a $15-an-hour minimum wage.

Ahead of the floor vote, Democrats and Republicans on the Rules Committee sparred angrily over the legislation, with Republicans complaining that they had been shut out of negotiations.

Democrats argued that even if the legislation did not command support among Republicans in Congress, it was broadly supported by the public and by many GOP mayors and some governors.

Republicans fumed over Democrats’ go-it-alone approach, but Democrats countered that Republicans took the same tack when they controlled both chambers of Congress and the White House at the start of the Trump administration and pushed through an unpaid-for $1.5 trillion tax-cut bill.

House passage of the relief legislation appeared all but assured Friday, but the outlook is trickier in the Senate, where moderate Democrats have raised questions about a number of provisions, including the structure of the state and local aid.

The Senate is split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, so if Republicans remain opposed, Democrats can pass the legislation only if they stay united and Vice President Harris breaks the tie.

The “budget reconciliation” process allows legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority vote instead of the 60 votes usually required.

The parliamentarian determined that the minimum wage did not pass that test.

The latest: House Democrats poised to pass Biden’s $1.9 trillion plan

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