WASHINGTON—Democrats’ failure to pass a minimum-wage increase could spur bipartisan negotiations to bridge the big gap between the party’s progressive wing, its centrists and Republican senators on raising workers’ pay.
As part of his original relief plan, President Biden called on Congress to raise the wage to $15 an hour by 2025, a key demand of progressives, and House Democrats included the proposal in the version of the legislation they initially passed. But the proposal fell apart in the Senate, where centrist Democrats opposed it and special procedural rules forbid its inclusion in the relief package.
Now, Democrats will have to reach an agreement on the wage increase among themselves and likely with Republicans to raise the federal minimum wage from its current level of $7.25 an hour, where it has been since 2009.
“It seems to me the universal agreement among not just Democrats, but Republicans who have recently introduced bills to raise the minimum wage, suggests that there’s broad bipartisan agreement,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D., Del.) recently. “So I do think there’s room for compromise.”
A vote Friday highlighted the splits in the Democratic caucus on the issue. When Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) offered an amendment to the Covid-aid bill on Friday pushing for the Senate to override the rules and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, eight Democrats voted against it, including swing votes Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona along with Mr. Coons.
The Link LonkMarch 07, 2021 at 02:00AM
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Democrats’ Minimum-Wage Setback Could Kick-Start Talks With Republicans - The Wall Street Journal
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