Biden, Democrats hit gas on push for $15 minimum wage

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Washington (Associated Press)-Democrats’ efforts to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour have become an early flashpoint in the fight for a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, testing President Biden’s chasing Washington guerrilla divisions His first major legislative victory in terms of ability.

During the campaign, Biden demanded a minimum wage of $15 an hour, and then took measures, among other things, demanding $1,400 for stimulus checks and $130 billion to help the school reopen. Biden believes that anyone with a full-time job should not live in poverty, which echoes the Democratic progressives who fully support this effort.

"Because of the economic gap, I mean, I want to see a minimum wage of $15. It should actually be $20," said D-Mich Rep. Rashida Tlaib.

Some Republicans support the increase, but the price of $15 an hour makes them uneasy. They warned that such an increase could cause unemployment in the economy to fall by nearly 10 million less than before the pandemic began. Moderates such as Senator Lisa Merkowski of Alaska and Representative Tom Reid of New York are urging Biden to separate the minimum wage from the COVID-19 talks and deal with them separately.

Reid said: "The more you invest in COVID relief items that are not related to the crisis, the more likely you are to risk being truly sincere about the crisis and being credible among the American people," Merkowski said, including a raise. Inside, "it is politically complicated that we should all work together to resolve this initiative."

The resistance from the moderates gave the Democrats a serious choice: to wait and obtain support from both parties to increase or move forward, with almost no support from the Republican Party. Democratic leaders seem to be moving towards the latter option, and there is no guarantee of success. Even if raising wages can overcome procedural challenges, voting requires the support of every Democrat in the 50-50 Senate, which can be a daunting task.

Leading the charge is Senator Bernie Sanders, who, with the support of 37 Senate Democrats, announced the $15 wage legislation this week. His bill will gradually increase his salary to $15 in five years. The federal minimum fee is $7.25, which has not been increased since 2009.

Sanders, the new chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said that if Republicans are not prepared to "join the board of directors," it would be good for him. He said the government needs to inject money into the economy to ensure that "people will not work in hunger" wages. "

The Democrats are using a tool that allows certain budget-related items to bypass the Senate’s opposition, a barrier that requires 60 votes. Sanders is confident that the increase in the minimum wage meets the allowable standard for budget settlements in Washington lingo, although the Senate has the final say over those who are eligible.

"Remember that during the settlement, my Republican colleagues provided nearly $2 trillion in tax relief to the wealthy and large companies under severe income inequality. They used the settlement to try to abolish the Affordable Care Act. Excluding 32 million people from the health care they have. Sanders said: "They used the settlement to drill in the Arctic wilderness. Do you know? I think we can use reconciliation to protect the needs of working families. "

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the Senate will take the first step as early as next week to get the COVID-19 relief bill through the budget reconciliation process. The goal is to pass in March.

Recent signs indicate that a minimum wage of $15 is very popular among voters. In November, more than 60% of Florida conservative voters approved an amendment to the state's constitution that raised the minimum wage from $8.56 per hour. To $15 per hour. By 2026.

The House of Representatives passed legislation to gradually increase the minimum wage in the previous Congress, but it did not help in the Republican-controlled Senate. Opponents believe that a substantial increase in the minimum wage will cause many employers to reduce the number of workers on their payroll.

A study conducted by the Congressional Budget Office in 2019 predicted that raising the hourly wage to $15 would increase the wages of 17 million Americans. In addition, there are 10 million workers earning more than $15 an hour, and their wages will also increase. However, about 1.3 million workers will lose their jobs.

Neil Bradley, chief policy officer of the American Chamber of Commerce, said: "There is no doubt that raising the minimum wage, especially to $15, will bankrupt some small businesses and cause many low-paid workers to lose their jobs."

Bradley said that there should be another debate on the minimum wage. Although the American Chamber of Commerce is opposed to $15 an hour, "we are willing to raise the minimum wage reasonably and this should be a topic of discussion. But, you know, including in COVID The contents of the package only harm the whole thing."

Mary Kay Henry (Mary Kay Henry), International Chairman of the International League of Service Workers, said that raising the minimum wage will benefit many people working on the front lines of the epidemic. This is why she supports including it in the COVID-19 relief package.

Henry said: "They are considered essential, but all of them think that they are considered consumables or victims because their income is not enough to put on the table and cannot keep themselves and their family healthy."

Henry said that nursing home workers, janitors, security guards and family health workers are 2 million members of the union.

She said: "The real way to appreciate this work is to raise the minimum wage to $15."

Most states also have minimum wage laws. Employees are usually entitled to the higher of the two minimum wages. Currently, 29 states and Washington, DC have minimum wages higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

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