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Senate parliamentarian strips $15 minimum wage from Covid relief bill

Elizabeth MacDonough, the senate parliamentarian who decides on the interpretation of the rules of the senate and parliamentary procedure, has ruled that the provisions for an increase in the minimum wage cannot be included in the covid relief bill.

Top Democrats as well as the White House said they were disappointed by the ruling, but the reality is that this may make it easier to get the bill through, and stimulus checks into the hands of Americans.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed the provision will remain in the House bill, which the chamber is voting on on Friday. The bill will therefore pass in its current form, the Senate will take the minimum wage provision out and then the House will pass the modified bill.

The other option was to pass the bill in the House with the minimum wage proposals taken out, but that could take several weeks with the bill going back to committees and then through the markup process again.

Why the minimum wage can’t be included along with the stimulus checks

The Democrats have their hands tied by parliamentary procedure because they have to avoid the filibuster in the Senate – meaning they have to use budget reconciliation to get measures through on a simple majority, but only certain items can be done under budget reconciliation – the proposal must change government spending or revenue or change the federal deficit – MacDonough ruled the minimum wage boost wouldn’t meet those requirements.